It is known that plastic litter has devastating effects on the oceans, marine life and the overall human health. Therefore, 30 countries from across the oceans joined forces to tackle marine plastic litter under the GloLitter Partnerships Project.
To remind, back in 2019, IMO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched a new global project called “GloLitter Partnerships Project”, with the goal of preventing and reducing marine litter plastic from shipping and fisheries.
The project aims to help the maritime transport and fishing sectors move towards a low-plastics future.
To achieve this goal, this initiative will assist developing countries to apply best practices for prevention, reduction and control of marine plastic litter from those sectors.
At the moment, 30 countries have joined the global initiative. Namely, the 10 lead partnering countries are: Brazil, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria and Vanuatu. While, the 20 partnering countries include: Argentina, Cabo Verde, Columbia, Ecuador, Gambia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga and Viet Nam.
I am delighted that we have 30 countries committed to joining this initiative and working with IMO and FAO to address this growing issue. Their experience and the development of best practices will serve as a model throughout the world and I look forward to seeing results as the project moves ahead.
…as Jose Matheickal, Chief, IMO Department for Partnerships and Projects, noted.
As explained, in the coming months, the Project Coordination Units at IMO and FAO will work with LPCs to develop National Work Plans tailored to the needs of each country, provide necessary technical assistance and training to implement those plans, and facilitate twinning arrangements between LPCs and PCs.
Specifically, the GloLitter Project will equip the partner countries with knowledge and tools that will include guidance documents, training material and methodologies to help enforce existing regulations.
These include IMO’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex V regulations on the prevention of pollution by garbage, which prohibits the discharge of plastics (including fishing gear) into the sea from ships.
Plastic litter has a devastating impact on marine life and human health. This initiative is an important step in tackling the issue and will help protect the ecosystem as well as the livelihoods of those who depend on the ocean.
…as Manuel Barange, FAO’s Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, concluded.
