Regional Report on Sea-based Marine Litter in the ... - nowpap dinrac

<strong>Regional</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on Sea-based Marine Litter in the NOWPAP Region2. Marine Litter from Sea-based Sourcesin the NOWPAP Region2.1. What are marine litter and its sea-based sources?Marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded,disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Sources ofmarine litter can be divided into land-based and sea-based.Possible sources of the sea-based marine litter are merchant shipping, ferries andcruise liners; fishing vessels; military fleets and research vessels; pleasure craft;offshore oil and gas platforms; aquaculture installations and recreational activitiessuch as diving and marinas (Table 1).Sea-based marine litter is mostly persistent synthetic material, non-degradablefishing nets, ropes, and sheets, which can remain in the marine environment formany years. Especially, abandoned and derelict fishing gear is a significant andserious form of marine litter resulting in consequent deaths of marine animals, i.e.“ghost fishing.”Table 1. Sources of marine litter (modified from UNEP, 2005)Main sea-based sourcesMain land-based sources• Merchant shipping, ferries andcruise liners;• Fishing vessels;• Military fleets and research vessels;• Pleasure craft;• Offshore oil and gas platforms;• Aquaculture installations;• Waterway recreational activities(such as diving and marinas)• Municipal landfills (waste dumps)located on the coast;• Riverine transport of waste fromlandfills or other sources along riversand other inland waterways (canals);• Discharge of untreated municipalsewage and storm water (includingoccasional overflows);• Industrial facilities (solid waste fromlandfills and untreated water); and• Tourism (recreational visitors to thecoast and beach goers)2