‘We all need to do our bit to reduce marine litter’ – ERA
The Environment Resources Authority has appealed to people to “do their bit” and reduce marine litter.
This appeal is a key part of ERA’s Marine Strategic Framework Directive, ERA’s Tamara Micallef explained to The Malta Independent. The aim of this is to attain positive environmental status in Maltese waters by 2020. It forms part of a larger scale framework which is in place across the European Union.
The framework works in a six year cycle and is divided into several different phases. The first is to conduct an initial assessment to get to know the current state of the marine environment. The environmental indicators are taken and targets are established. The environmental status to attain is then determined through a number of methodologies and frequencies. The monitoring programme that will be used is also determined at this stage. The final step is to draft the programme of measures wherein a set of action points and measures are laid out in order to maintain or achieve the set environmental targets.
One of the main elements of this framework relates to marine letter, Micallef said. It is a known fact how much of a problem marine litter is to the environment. There are a lot of impacts that marine litter can have such as the entanglement of marine species, being a health hazard for human beings along with socio-economic impacts in sectors such as beach tourism, fisheries, diving and other various fields.
ERA’s campaign is educational in nature when it comes to marine litter, and it aims to give awareness to seafarers regarding marine litter and how they can prevent it. Micallef cited various examples, such as using reusable items instead of single-use plastics and that if single-use plastics are required, users should recycle them. She emphasised that it is important for boat operators to make sure that their vessel has the proper waste disposal facilities onboard as well.
Micallef concluded that it is the duty of the general public to do their bit when out at sea so that we can have a better and safer environment for everyone and for generations to come.
The effects of marine littering, especially when it comes to plastic items, were laid bare just a few days ago, when a large leatherback turtle was found dead and tangled in fishing nets. While the cause of death was pneumonia, the ERA said that the turtle had been greatly weakened by plastics it had ingested.
The effects of plastics in our seas, including discarded fishing gear, were also exposed in a recent TMI feature with Nature Trust Malta at the sea turtle rehabilitation centre in Marsaxlokk. The NGO explained that the facility is at full capacity.
More recently the issue of plastic confetti during feasts – which often ends up in the sea – also came up. The controversial confetti were used during the Summer Carnival in Marsascala and more recently during the St Julian’s feast this weekend.
Environmentalists also warn about the large amounts of waste left behind at popular boating areas.