Objectives

The main objectives of the MARLISCO project are to increase the awareness of the consequences of societal behaviour in relation to waste production and management on marine socio-ecological systems, to promote co-responsibility among the different actors, to define a more sustainable collective vision, and to facilitate grounds for concerted actions through the successful implementation of the MMLAP. The main focus is to provide and evaluate mechanisms to enable society to perceive the impact of litter on the marine environment, to identify the land-based activities that are involved and collectively arrive at solutions to reduce that impact – in particular solutions that can be implemented locally but have a regional effect.

Specific objectives:

1. To provide a review of current understanding of the sources, type, distribution and fate of marine litter in Europe’s Sea. This will provide an evidence base to support appropriate actions and to provide a baseline against which change can be measured.

2. To provide an evaluation of key stakeholder perceptions of marine litter, assess current practices and potential solutions, and measure the effectiveness of the Action Plan at changing attitudes and perceptions.

3. To develop a web based portal to promote the Action Plan, provide a source of information on marine litter, stimulate discussion and disseminate the results of the Co-ordination Action.

4. To provide a platform for structured dialogue among the key stakeholders from industry, end users, science and society, in 12 European countries. This will help to identify and resolve barriers that currently retard the adoption of good practice.

5. To develop a video contest in schools in 14 countries around the European Seas in which children will be encouraged to develop short videos about the issue, embodying a multi-disciplinary process of getting in touch with the problem and addressing potential solutions as they see them.

6. To identify good practice and facilitate its adoption via a range of disseminating materials aimed at specific sectors and present them to evaluation during the stakeholder fora.

7. To increase awareness and empower general public and children through a series of national educational activities and innovative communication tools, while facilitating the integration of their views in the platforms of dialogue.