OSPAR Pilot Project on Monitoring Marine Beach Litter:
Monitoring of marine litter in the OSPAR region (2001-2006)
The project started in 1999, the survey protocol was tested and agreed in 2000, and the first field surveys started in early 2001. The pilot project has been carried out in two phases, 2000–2003 and 2004–2006. The experience and results from the first phase were reported to the OSPAR Biodiversity Committee (BDC) in 2003 in a preliminary assessment report. Referring to, inter alia, the conclusions from a first statistical test analysis of the survey data available at that point, in which the need for longer time series of surveys to make statistically significant trend analyses was emphasised, the BDC endorsed a prolongation of the pilot project until the end of 2006.
An international Steering Group8, including the national project coordinators, has coordinated the implementation of the pilot project. The Steering Group has included representatives of Belgium, Denmark (mainland and the Faroe Islands), France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as observer organisations KIMO (Local Authorities International Environmental Organization), and Seas at Risk (represented by Marine Conservation Society and Stichting De Noordzee). The Steering Group of the pilot project has reported annually to the OSPAR Biodiversity Committee (BDC). As Lead Party, until the end of 2006, within OSPAR for the issue of marine litter, Sweden (through the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) has funded and been in charge of pilot project management. However, the national project coordination and beach surveys were funded by a combination of national governments, NGOs and volunteers.
In Belgium, the project was represented by MUMM-BMM. Results of the Belgian region were integrated in the databank.
The project report for the OSPAR-region is attached.
 OSPAR marine litter |