Progress report for
Working towards plastic free oceans
Achievement at a glance
A joint OceanCare - UNEP/MAP workshop on the prevention and reduction of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea at the GFCM FishForum resulted in detailed recommendations.<br> Continuation of the cooperation with Gebrder Heinemann Duty Free, which in 2017/2018 reduced plastic bags by 70% and have been reduced by another 15% in 2019.
<br>
<br> In 2019, OceanCare was the Charity Partner of the Rose of Charity sailing regatta sponsored by Sunsail, Marinepool and SodaStream. Our leaflet for every boat contained tips for a green regatta. Dialogues during the regatta aimed to raise awareness about plastic pollution.
<br>
<br> In 2019 UBS chose OceanCare as the Swiss expert for SDG14 within their #TOGETHERBAND initiative to promote the sustainable development goals of the UN Agenda 2030.
<br> At UNEA-4, OceanCare worked in support of several resolutions designed to increase international action to halt plastic pollution.
<br> OceanCare advocated for the inclusion of the regulation of transboundary forms of pollution, such as plastic at the UN IGC2 & 3 negotiations for the legally binding BBNJ Instrument.
<br> 2019, OceanCare participated in the second and third substantive sessions of the Ad hoc open-ended working group on marine litter and microplastic, established by UNGA resolution 72/277.
<br> In 2019, we conducted a market survey of marine species from the Ligurian Sea to determine their load with microplastic. The report published shows that 57% of the samples contained microplastics.
<br> 2019 during our field research in Sicily, plastic counts were carried out on the sea surface. 12156 plastic parts have been collected and recorded. On World Cleanup Day on 21 September 2019, collected 200 kilos of waste over 7,000 m2.
<br> In 2019, OceanCare became a member of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative supporting the recovery of ghost nets and the tagging of fishing nets to ensure the tracing back of their owners.
<br>
Challenges faced in implementation
This initiative failed due to lack of political will. A new attempt has been started in 2018, However, to-date the motion has not been discussed yet in the Swiss parliament.<br>
<br>
Beneficiaries
- Environment and ecosystem
<br>- Civil Society and Schools
<br>- Private Sector and Policymakers
<br>
Actions
- Beach cleaning actions in Switzerland, Spain and Italy preventing marine debris from entering the oceans.<br>- Teamed up with dedicated animal rescue experts around the world and support emergency rescues, rehabilitation and release of marine animals, capacity building efforts.
<br>- Environmental education and presentations at schools, including through partner organisations in Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Greece.
<br>- Reduction of plastic bags through cooperation with Gebrder Heinemann Duty Free by another 15% in 2019.
<br>- Our 2018 Strip us campaign in Switzerland which included face to face meetings with retailers as well as mobilization of the public led to a measurable reduction of plastic packaging on organic fruits and vegetables. A control study in 2018 showed that Coop reduced packaging by 7.7%, Aldi by 8%, Lidl by 8.7% and Migros by 0.2%.
<br>- Used pilot study in the Levantine Basin on microplastics in fish and invertebrates to educate the public and decision makers about potential health hazards.
<br>- Participated in roundtables and forums involving the industry and sharing expertise (e.g. The Klosters Forum, APPOLL Forum, Food Packaging Forum)
<br>