Organisation: Foundation for Environmental Education

Website: www.videsfonds.lvl; www.manajura.lv

Dates: 14 July 2016 – 14 August 2016

Place: Latvian Baltic Sea coast from Lithuanian to Estonian border

Description of the activity:

In 2016 I was expedition manager of My Sea campaign – expedition 500 kilometers of Latvian Baltic Sea coast from Lithuanian to Estonian border. The purpose of the expedition is to promote responsible attitude towards the unique values ​​of the coast of Latvia by documenting, summarizing and exploring the topical marine and coastal environment issues, focusing on the data collection on the situation of marine pollutant waste along the Latvian coast.

What was the environmental problem:

To fill the data gaps regarding marine litter found on Latvian beaches and turn public attention to the marine litter topic that was perceived only as a nuisance for recreation, not the acute environmental issue.

The result of the activity:

Year 2016 marked 5th anniversary of campaign, when more than 800 people took part in campaigns expedition alone, not counting side events and other public initiatives that were developed through the years. But public numbers and campaigns results recognition – starting from National Environmental Science award in 2012 for FEE Latvia, when campaign was just set up and ending with recent honours of receiving Annual Health Award in 2016 for promotion of solutions for healthy Baltic Sea ecosystems – is just the tip of iceberg of campaigns commitment to become driving force in seeking solutions for the marine litter issue in Latvia – starting from very local situations to national processes.

In 2012 network of 40 monitoring/survey sites was created along all the coast of Latvian Baltic Sea border, with surveys done according to UNEP/IOC guidelines and methodology. It is now complemented with 12 seasonal survey sites. Such amount and diversity of monitored sites allowed during these years to compile very valuable amount of information, giving clear knowledge not only about situation important for policy making on national level (as average amount of litter found on beaches, structure of materials, distribution and trends), but also very down-to-earth picture about situation, challenges and possible reasons and solutions for marine litter pollution issues in each of 17 coastal municipalities in Latvia.

In 2016, when gathering data in survey sites, also litter items sized 0.5-2.5 cm were counted, giving at least initial deeper understanding about litter amount that is escaping representation in official beach litter statistics according to UNEP/IOC protocols. Similarly, in all the survey sites one of the “litter plague” of beaches – cigarette butts – were counted for all the stretch of site to analyse how the total amount represents 10 m stretch, where in UNEP/IOC that litter fraction is taken into account. That was done as an effort to continue work on integration and improvements of different beach litter survey methodologies, so that they better help local and national policy makers to choose right instruments for tackling the issue.

Judging from results of five years research work in Latvia it is not surprising – as situation all around the globe shows the similar trends – that the main challenge for Latvian coast regarding marine litter turns out to be plastic materials. If the average amount of litter found on the Latvian beaches over last five years accounts to be slightly over 170 items per 100 meters, the plastic constitutes more than half of all litter. Even more alarming is the fact that, if those data is expressed as the distribution percentage of litter fractions among all the surveys – during more than 200 surveys made on Latvian beaches over five years, even most remote ones – there are none, where the unidentifiable plastic materials (PL24 category according to UNEP/IOC protocol) in different stages of degradation have not been found.

Campaigns data now have become a backbone of emerging national policies regarding marine litter. Already in 2014 FEE Latvia have invested necessary amount of work to create a marine litter profile for each of coastal municipalities, ensured the issue to be taken up and seriously considered within Coastal Spatial Planning process for next programming period. Efforts continued, when government intensified work on plans and strategies for implementation of EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. My Sea data was used to set up national strategy for MSFD Descriptor 10 for reaching Good Environmental Status both as statistical reference to the amount of marine litter and also in setting the goals for National Programme. Marine litter continues its rise in scientific and political agendas, emphasising the urgent need for solutions.

Environmental challenge accepted - Public vote

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