Stakeholders fighting marine litter, plastic pollution seek to strengthen actions, better coordinate efforts |02 April 2022

PS Matatiken (Photo: Joena Meme)

Major stakeholders working to fight marine litter and plastic pollution in Seychelles met this week to discuss how to strengthen their actions, better coordinate their efforts in the continued fight against the scourge and update themselves on the subject.

The day-long technical consultation and  discussion which was held at the Savoy hotel was also to know more about a project entitled ‘protecting the marine environment from land-based pollution through strengthened coordination of global action’ being carried out here by the  United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment (MACCE) .

 After giving an overview of marine pollution and plastic waste in the world, the principal secretary for environment, Denis Matatiken, noted that “given the recognition of the impacts of plastic and other debris reaching the marine environment, Seychelles has taken actions and a lot of measures nationally vis-à-vis the problem of marine litter through its solid waste management system, regular beach cleaning by private contractors, recycling programmes for PET Plastic bottles and alluminium cans and also the ban on the use of single-use plastic bags, take-away boxes and plastic straws. These measures are taken with the intention to keep the marine environment free of those litter’.

Mr Matatiken also said that despite our positive actions, marine litter that reach our shores are still made up of a large proportion of plastics. In 2019, 25 tonnes of waste were collected on Aldabra and the outer islands.

“This shows that we cannot act alone, but have to work together with the international community given that we have one ocean. Seychelles were glad with the recent decisions taken at UNEA 5.2, held in Nairobi, Kenya, to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024,” he remarked.

Nanette Laure, director for waste, enforcement and permit at the MACCE explained the rationale of the project.

“There is a significant knowledge gap on information on sources of plastics to the ocean.  Marine litter and plastics are many and are varied, however the actual quantities remain unknown. In 2019 Seychelles was invited to partner with UNEP to pilot test a new approach to address  the knowledge gap on marine litter and plastics and therefore develop a national source inventory and action plan. The same year, the ministry in partnership with WIOMSA and CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) organised a national marine litter data collection training workshop.”

Ms Laure explained that the objectives of such a project are to identify key sources, pathways, hotspots and impacts of plastic pollution including micro plastics within the country; enhance the national capacity to collect data and monitor trends; track information related to plastic pollution, in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 14: (Conserve and make sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); Empower decision making by strengthening the evidence base for policy-making, associated with plastic pollution and micro plastics and strengthen Seychelles capacity for reporting towards indicator 14.1.1 (marine floating litter).

During the discussion the participants also shared their knowledge on marine litter and plastic pollution; learned about the marine litter and action plans from a global perspective, learned  about the national source inventory on marine litter and plastic pollution. From a global perspective they engaged in primary discussions on existing information gaps in Seychelles and identified other relevant stakeholders who can potentially be part of the project to boost the fight again marine litter and plastic pollution.

Vidya Gappy