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UNEP(DEPI)/MED IG 20/8
Annex II
Page 159
Activity 5.7: Strengthening the cooperation among Fishery Bodies, the scientific
community and the fishing industry in reviewing of fishing gear materials and
developing of new technologies.
Long term activities
Activity 5.8: Continue the work on assessing and monitoring the operation of port waste
reception facilities as stipulated under MARPOL and provide assistance to
ports, harbours and small marinas to develop and implement effective waste
disposal procedures, with particular reference to lost/abandoned fishing gear.
Proposed activities at national level
Medium term activities
Activity 5.9: Quantification of the problem at national level through a estimation of the
amount of gear being purchased by fishers within a country, the number of
fishers, the number of vessels, and estimate the loss versus the collection of
used and expired fishing gear.
Activity 5.10: Conduct routine monitoring programmes and mapping activities of
lost/abandoned fishing gear and report results to the national coordinator and
MED POL.
Activity 5.11: Provide assistance to fisheries to recover their lost fishing gear from the water
Activity 5.12: Develop reception facilities available for the disposal of disused fishing gear
and other wastes from vessels.
Long term activities
Activity 5.13: Work with conservation NGOs and fishing communities to adopt areas in the
Mediterranean Sea and ensure that these areas are lost/abandoned fishing
gear free. Similar to the concept of adopt a beach.
Activity 5.14: Establish and implement national lost/abandoned fishing gear monitoring
programmes on the basis of regional agreements.
3.6 Objective six: Establish synergies with on-going and planned initiatives in the
Mediterranean Region as they relate to marine litter
Justification and background of proposed activities: This objective should be understood as a
continuous and systematic effort in parallel to all and each one of the previous four
objectives. The synergies to be obtained will strengthen the activities described at regional
and national level under each one of the previously described objectives. It is included as an
additional objective because there are many actors in the region, ranging from other United
Nations Organisations, European Commission (Marine Strategy Framework Directive),
NGOs and research institutes which are working to address various aspects of the issue of
marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea at various levels. There are also large scale waste
management related programmes financed by International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the
EU and bilateral aid from which financial assistance to implement activities related to
capacity building in this strategic framework can be catalysed. This strategic framework
proposes that partnerships with these organisations be either strengthened, and if no
partnerships exist that they are established, in order to meet the common objectives.