engleski

Marine Litter – the Number One Global Environmental Problem

Marine litter is the fastest growing threat to marine ecosystems with major environmental and economic consequences. It is defined as any manufactured or processed solid material that is not of natural origin but has been produced and used, and discarded, by man directly into the sea or has reached it from land via rivers, drainage and sewerage or wind. It ends up in the sea due to failures in waste management ; appears floating on the surface of the sea, in the water column, on the seabed and washed up on the shore ; the main categories are plastic, metal, glass, rubber, processed wood, fabric and paper. Annually, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the seas, and it is estimated that more than 150 million tons are there. The greatest impact on marine organisms is entanglement (lost fishing tools, plastic bags) and ingestion and ingestion into the digestive system, which particularly exposes marine mammals, turtles, and birds. It represents a risk to human health, disrupts traffic and reduces the quality of using the sea. Microplastics pose a potential threat to organisms, given that they can enter the food chain. Although the issue of marine waste in Croatia has been known for a long time, our knowledge is still quite scarce. The main shortcomings are insufficient knowledge about quantities, composition, and trends, as well as sources and input into the sea that affect distribution. Cross-border waste arriving from neighbouring countries is a particular problem. Civil society organizations have an important role in developing awareness and sensitizing the public, while scientific institutions deal with basic research on the issue started with the DeFishGear project. Systematic national monitoring has been carried out since 2017. In Croatia, marine waste prevention activities are carried out by applying existing legal frameworks related to waste management. Marine litter is not an environmental problem that can only be solved by enforcing laws and cleaning beaches ; it is a cultural problem, and it is necessary to make great efforts to change habits, levels of awareness and management methods to achieve the active involvement of all sectors and interest groups.

pressure on the environment, protection, Adriatic, education, legislative framework

nije evidentirano