ISSN 2287-8971

Marine Litter News
Volume 7 • Issue 2 • December 2016
In this volume
1. Convening in Hong Kong for Global Impact: the International Coastal Cleanup Asia Pacific Regional Meeting
2. 14th Annual Marine Litter Summit 2016 – Mie Conference , Japan
3. Taiwan EPA will ban all microbeads
4. An overview of Marine environmental protection organizations in China
5. Greenpeace East Asia’s effort to reduce microplastics problem in the ocean through banning microplastics use
in consumer products in South Korea
6. Participating Japan-Korea workshop for exchanging and discussing issues about marine litter
7. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
8. Development of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)’s ALDFG Web Portal
9. Monthly webinar for capacity building of NGOs in Asian region
10. A Study on the Annual Inflow and Its Control of Styrofoam Buoy Debris in Oyster Aquaculture Farm in Gyeongnam, Korea

Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine LitterUpcoming event

1st Korea Marine Debris Conference● Date: 16 Feb, 2017
● Venue: South Sea Research Institute of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST)(Geoje, South Korea)● Organizer: Our Sea of East Asia Network & KIOST● Participants: Researchers, NGOs, industry sector, policy makers, artists, etc● For more information, contact Dr. Sunwook Hong (loveseakorea@empas.com)

Recommended Citation for the whole volume:

Hong, Sunwook.(ed.) (2016). Marine Litter News from Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter,Our Sea of East Asia Network, Vol. 7(2): 38pp, Tongyeong, South Korea.

ISSN 2287-8971
Marine Litter News Vol. 7(2): 38pp. December 2016.
© Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML)
The newsletter is biannually published by APML.

Preface

Marine Litter News

Vol. 7(2), December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Dear readers,
I am very pleased to deliver wonderful news from the Asia Pacific region regarding tackling marine plastic debris
in this issue.
First of all, Ocean Conservancy of America brings you the first International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Asia PacificRegional Meeting held in Hong Kong. Surely it could be a recognizable event when it comes to strong collaboration among ICC coordinators in the region. Japan Environmental Action Network successfully convened its annual
Marine Litter Summit. This event was the most international summit that I have ever taken part in. Taiwan Watch Institute and Greenpeace Korea report the fantastic news regarding the ban on microbeads in consumer products.
I would like to admire their effort to make it through.
Shanghai Rendu Ocean provides a directory which includes overall information on 176 marine conservation organizations in China. We can enjoy a participant’s report on Japan-Korea workshop for exchanging and discussing issues about marine litter with interesting figures. Vancouver aquarium in Canada, a non-profit organization,
introduces their role and activities to engage people for clean Canadian shorelines. Global Ghost Gear Initiative
starts to collect data on lost or abandoned fishing gear worldwide, which have imposed serious harmful impacts
on ecosystem and fishing industries. We, Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN), continue to research Styrofoam
buoy issue and published an academic paper. We also have been hosting monthly webinars for capacity buildingof NGOs in the Asian region. I am pleased to deliver this amazing news that the webinar has been continuously
held 60 times over the last 6 years and beginning next month, 7 new participants from a variety of NGOs in China
will be joining.
Our efforts to address marine debris in the Asia Pacific region are very cooperative and practical. I believe integration of shoreline cleanup, education and raising awareness, capacity building, policy change, and research will
result in a cleaner and better ocean.
I would like to sincerely thank all of our members’ unflagging and indefatigable efforts toward solvinge this problem.
Any wonderful news from all over the world are more than welcome.
With love,
December 2016,

Editor, Sunwook Hong
(Ph.D., President of OSEAN)

Assistant editor, Hyunjung Kim(Volunteer of OSEAN)✽ Ms. Hyunjung Kim voluntarily assists to edit Marine Litter News, working for Greenpeace East Asia Seoul Office as a researcher.

3

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 4-7, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Convening in Hong Kong for Global Impact:
the International Coastal Cleanup Asia Pacific Regional Meeting
Nicholas J. Mallos
Director, Trash Free Seas, Ocean Conservancy
nmallos@oceanconservancy.org

Introductory presentation by N. Mallos of Ocean Conservancy on the first day

November 2016 marked the first time that local, re- cant leadership Asia Pacific countries have shown
gional and national thought leaders from throughout during the Cleanup, increased scrutiny Asia PacificAsia Pacific convened to discuss a concerted strat- countries have received following the publication
egy to address marine debris, specifically plastics. of Jambeck et al. 2015 1 . The event also marked
This meeting was the first time in over 5 years that the first International Coastal Cleanup Coordinators
Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean- meeting to take place in Asia, which would not haveup partners came together to discuss the Cleanup, been possible without the tremendous partnership
emerging science and opportunities to achieve pol- from our Hong Kong Cleanup partners, Ecozine. As
icy wins through greater collaboration. Hong Kong co-hosts of the event, Lisa Christensen and Nissa
served as the ideal meeting venue given the signifi- Marion (Ecozine) provided an unparalleled perspec1. J. R. Jambeck, R. Geyer, C. Wilcox, T. R. Siegler, M. Perryman, A. Andrady, R. Narayan, and K. L. Law, “Plastic waste inputs from land
into the ocean,” Science, 2015, Volume 347, Number 6223.

tive into the plastic debris challenge plaguing Hongited edition “2017 International Coastal Cleanup” line ofKong and its many islands.

sunglasses manufactured by Ocean Conservancy’s

National and State Coordinators from 18 countries andpartner, Norton Point.

states throughout Asia Pacific attended the meeting,Over the course of the meeting, dialogue focused on

including representatives from academia, government

developing a more integrated strategy among Clean-and civil society as well as a leading delegate fromup partners throughout the region. This was especially

UNEP’s Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia

seen related to communications, both within the net-

(COBSEA) Regional Seas Programme. Combined,

work and via external communications from the Inter-the countries represented in the room accounted fornational Coastal Cleanup network to the public. There

67% of all Cleanup volunteers and 74% of all debris

was a consistent call to explore the creation of a digitalcollected during the 30th Anniversary Cleanup (2015).

management platform such as BaseCamp that could

Hong Kong Under Secretary of Environment, Christine

enable better information sharing and communica-

Loh, provided keynote remarks at the meeting’s open-

tions among the regional and international Coordinator

ing reception, and she specifically acknowledged the

network. There was also a strong theme of develop-

meaningful impact that Ecozine and the Hong Konging common language and terms to ensure Cleanup

Cleanup have had on mitigating the threat of plastic

partners around the world communicate using a uni-

debris to Hong Kong’s islands. Still, much work re-fied voice.

mains to be done to address Hong Kong’s plastic

Beyond coordinating Cleanups, the National Cleanup

debris at its source, including a collaborative strategy

Coordinators represent the leading thought leadersamong government, industry and civil society.

on the issue of ocean plastics and debris in their re-

The three day meeting kicked off with a beach clean-

spective countries and abroad, and the collective

up along Cape D’Aquilar in the Shek O region of Hongknowledge of the Coordinator network in attendance

Kong Island. The specific beach was called Lap Sap

was impressive. There was also a resounding call for

Wan, Cantonese meaning “rubbish bay.” The beach iscontinued and expanded collaboration across the re-a more remote region of Hong Kong Island, not eas-gion. Ocean Conservancy was encouraged by this

ily accessed by foot or boat, and is located just pastenergy and is committed to to better connecting thethe main recreational beaches of Shek O. Due to theincredible efforts across the region together under aremoteness, the currents and the protected nature ofcommon call to action.

Lap Sap Wan the shoreline acts as a sink capturing

There was consensus among Coordinators that asignificant amounts of trash. The plastic debris condi-

commitment to collective action by all sectors—in-tions on this beach were abhorrent, and solid wrack

dustry, government and civil society organizations, islines of plastic waste were visible with each wave thatneeded to stop plastic from entering the ocean, and awashed onto shore. Access to the beach requires ameeting statement will outline the priority actions thesteep descent down the side of a mountain, therefore

Network is resolved to pursue. The three day meet-trash collected during Cleanups is stored above theing was a resounding success and Ocean Conserv-

high tide line until seas are calm enough for govern-ancy remains humbled and inspired by the combined

ment vessels to navigate onshore and remove the col-impact of this extraordinary Network. At the meet-

lected trash. In addition to the hundreds on kilograms

ing’s end there was an immediate call for a follow-up

of plastics collected by meeting participants, the groupconvening, and Ocean Conservancy looks forwardspecifically targeted collection of high-density polyeth-

to bringing together our global Network of partners

ylene (HDPE) plastic. These materials will be recycled,

in 2018 to to spur even greater engagement and col-and the quality of the plastics tested, to create a lim-

laboration.
5

International Coastal Cleanup-Asia Pacific Regional Conference Agenda
November 16-18, 2016
The Cityview Hotel, Hong Kong, SAR
November 16 - Day 1
11:30 - 12:00

Informal Welcome(Hotel Lobby)

12:00

Shuttle Departs For Beach Cleanup

13:00 - 16:00

Coordinator Beach Cleanup + Plastics Collect

16:00

Shuttle Returns To Hotel

18:00 - 20:00

Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party (Crystal Ballroom)

20:00 - 21:30

Official Coordinator Welcome Dinner (The Balcony)

November 17 - Day 2 (Diamond Room)
09:00 - 09:15

Welcome and Meeting Goals

09:15 - 10:30

Introductions

10:30 - 10:45

Coffee Break

10:45 - 11:30

The Global Perspective : Celebrating Our Past, Shaping Our Future

11:30 - 11:50

Hong Kong Perspective

11:50 - 13:00

Spotlights On Network Expertise● Session 1 :● Mr. Jaime Paredes - Mar Y Ambiente Consultores● Dr. Jingmyoung Lee - Our Sea Of East Asia Network(OSEAN)● Mr. Niphon Phongsuwan - Depertment Of Marine And Coastal Resources, Thailand● Session 2 :● Mr. Eben Schwartz, California Coastal Commission:● Ms. Hanako Yokota, Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN)● Mr. Reynaldo Molina, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch● Lunch Panel : Putting Zero Waste Into Practice● Mr. Richard Anthony, Zero Waste International Alliance(ZWIA)● Ms. Ruth Abbe, Zero Waste UAS● Mr. Pal Martensson, ZWIA

14:00 - 15:30

Rapid Breakouts : Increasing Impact Globally● How can we, as a global network, create more impact and awareness of the issue inour respective geographies?
● Data collection - small and large group discussion

15:30 - 15:45

Coffee Break

14:45 - 16:45

Rapid Breakout : Educating Ourselves and Our Constituencies● Education Materials - What’s available? What’s needed? What’s can be a improved?
● Crafting Our Collective Vision - key points to include in coordinator consensus statement /meeting outcome document

16:45 - 17:00

Day 1 Closing

18:15

Board Coach to Dinner

19:00

Dinner at Linguini Fini

20:30

Board Coach for Hotel

21:00

Day 1 Official End● Conversations & Cocktails At Hotel Bar (Optional)

Marine Litter News 6

November 18 - Day 3 (Diamond Room)
09:00 - 09:15

Recap Day 1 Outcomes, Key Themes, Questions

09:15 - 10:00

Group Discussion : Fundraising Strategies and Best Practices

10:00 - 11:00

Panel Discussion : Tools for Increased Impact● Volunteer Recruitment● Ms. Hannah Pragnell-Raasch, Project AWARE● Ms. Joy Hawkins, Stop Oregon Littering And Vandalism (SOLVE)● Effective Communications And Digital Strategies● Dr. Sunwook Hong, Our Sea Of Asia Network (OSEAN)● Ms. Emi Koch, Coast 2 Coast

11:00 - 11:15

Coffee Break

11:15 - 12:15

Panel Discussions Continued● Turning Data Into Policy● Mr. Sivasothi N., National Unversity Of Singapore● Mr. Eben Schwartz, Californis Coastal Comission● Mr. Tommy Cutt, Loggerhead Marinelife Center

12:15 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 14:45

Moving Beyond the Beach and Landfill - Cleanup Innovation● Ms. Heidi Taylor, Tangaroa Blue
● Ms. Hazel Panes, Net-Works Pholippines, Zoological Society Of London● Ms. Allison Schutes, Ocean Conservancy

14:45 - 16:00

Blue Sky Cleanup “Free Flow” Session

16:00 - 16:30

Closing Session

16:30

Conference Concludes

Snapshots of the International Coastal Cleanup Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in Hong Kong

7

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 8-12, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

14th Annual Marine Litter Summit 2016 – Mie Conference
Ise City, Mie Prefecture, JapanEri Akai,World Ocean Collective Japan Division, Japan Environmental Action Network
akai.eri@gmail.com

Introduction
Japan’s annual Marine Litter Summit hosted by Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN) locatesitself in different areas of the country each year, with
2 full-day presentations and discussions followed
by a 3rd day for a beach clean activity. This year,
the 14th Marine Litter Summit 2016 Mie Conference
was held from Friday October 28th to Sunday October 30th in Ise city, Mie Prefecture.
Mie is blessed with fertile mountains and sea, with

Some of the summit members’ visit to Ise Jingu

historical shrine known as Ise Jingu, Thousands ofJapanese and foreign tourists pay visits every year
for this Shintoism shrine, dating back to 690AD.
Mie’s beautiful coastline faces the pacific with multiple peninsulas including Ise Bay and Ise-Shima
National Park. Its complex geography also accumulates a large amount of marine litter floating inand out of the bay.

Aerial view of part of Ise Bay

Marine Litter News 8

Background and Objectives
In 2010, pursuant to decision IX/35, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) was
held in Nagoya. Objectives were set for both “Aichi
Objective” by 2020 and “National Biodiversity Strategy 2012-2020”, however the issue of marine litterwas not recognized as a bigger task.
Marine pollution with microplastic litter was notedin Leaders’ Declaration as a nation wide problem
during the G7 Summit in EllMau, Germany in 2015.
Action Plan was included to commence against the
problem. The commitment from previous year was
also carried on in this year’s G7 Ise Shima Summit’s
declaration to “reaffirm our commitment to address
marine litter, recognizing that our efforts on resource efficiency and the 3Rs also contribute to theprevention and reduction of marine litter, particularly
plastic, from land-based sources. Furthermore, we
support scientific work to enhance global ocean
observation and assessment for the science-based
management, conservation and sustainable use ofmarine resources.”*1
This year, discussions were divided into 3 main
themes;
1. Biodiversity and Marine Litter
2. Reducing and Preventing Plastic Litter Entry
to the Ocean
3. Northern Pacific International Relations& “Toba Appeal”
Relative research and activity reports were presented by 15 foreign guest presenters and 16 Japanesepresenters, followed by group discussions and editing of “Toba Appeal” draft based on the 3 themes.

Main hall of the Summit

from 5 Gyres Institute referred back to 1950s where‘single-use’ was an encouraged lifestyle with an
emerging plastic industry and a throw-away economy. Plastics and Microplastics are not only floatingin the ocean, but also reaching to the bottom of thesea, entering and affecting the marine ecosystem.
It was strongly addressed that the society needs
to get away from the “linear economy”*2 and moveon to a “circular economy”*3 to solve this growing
problem from the core.

Reducing and Preventing Plastic Litter Entry to
the OceanThis theme was discussed on the 2nd day of thesummit, which kicked off with 2 documentary films;“Debris” featuring a marine litter artist Peter Clarksonand “Akaska Barge Project” featuring GoAK(Gulf of
Alaska Keepers).*4
On the 2nd theme, points were discussed on reducing plastic usage, preventing land-based litter entering waterways, and beach clean and international
cooperation.

Councilor Hayamizu from the Ministry of Environment Japan addressed the urgency to react on reDuring this first discussion theme, sub themes were duction and prevention during his opening speech.
Business perspectives were given from presenters
focused on current Microplastic marine pollution,
marine debris and protection of ecosystem, and such as Patagonia Japan and The Yokohama Rubber, addressing their commitment to reduce andcoastlines and oceanic areas’ efforts. Dr. Eriksen

Biodiversity and Marine Litter

9Group photo of invited speakers and organizers

prevent as a leading example in each industry. Jon
Schmidt of Washington Coast Savers closed the
day as a World Ocean Collective representative,
which the group itself formed during past marine
litter conference, stating that above all scientific researches and data, and the amount of time andeffort needed to protect the marine environment ona global scale, we must remember that “the worldis one, and the ocean connects all of us”.
At the end of the day, participants spread into
groups of 8-10 to discuss and edit the draft of Toba
Appeal ** based on the 3 themes of this summit.
In order to shift the entire consumerism on single-use plastics and plastics in general, we not
only need to shift to alternatives in many choices
we make on daily bases, but also to stronger approach from several directions and to several targets. Product design, especially on fishery tools,
must be reevaluated upon EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) to design each product witha circular, cradle to cradle, type of a product life.
Policies need to be more particular, specifying
products and what needs to be done to it in order to decrease/ban from the root. Education for
Marine Litter News 10

children, the most hopeful approach of all, canbe applied by educational NPOs to lecture insideand outside of classrooms. Involving and engaging students in local environmental activities canraise their awareness. Textbooks should also beedited/re-written/added with more focus on environmental issues to provide knowledge on how tolive responsibly and sustainably, knowing that each
person living on earth is responsible for contribution of a carbon footprint. Feeling hopeful that thosechildren will eventually educate the adults and become the next generation or environmentalists.

Nasanohama (Nasa Beach) Cleanup
Northern Pacific International Relations &“Toba Appeal”
On the last day of Mie Summit, the participants
took a boat ride to Toshi Island in Toba City to joina beach-cleaning event hosted by the local 22nd
Century Nasanohama Project members. Within anhour, over 860kgs (1,892lbs) of marine litter was removed by over 150 participants. Results are very
visible in the photos, however the countless numbers of small plastic pieces still remained.

Nasanohama beach before cleanup (left above and left) and after cleanup (right above and right)

Following the beach clean, panel discussion washeld with 8 representatives, including Mie Prefectural Governor Suzuki and Ise City Mayor Kida,
at the gym of local Momotori Elementary School.
Toba Appeal draft was then handed over to Mie
Prefectural Governor Eikei Suzuki for an official
press release.

Students of Momotori Elementary also participatedin the clean up event to collect marine litter. They
were introduced to marine debris artists Peter
Clarkson from Canada and Kim Ji Hwan from Korea to create a collaborative artwork with collected
debrisDuring Panel Discussion

Students Marine Litter Artwork withPeter Clarkson and Kim Ji Hwan
11

Conclusion
With more than 100 participants in total during a
3-day long summit, studies, researches and experiences were exchanged by people from the United States including Alaska and Hawai’i, Canada,
China, Taiwan, Korea and multiple prefectures ofJapan.

The more we discussed about marine litter, themore it became apparent the urgency to act now.
Marine pollution is a growing and on-going global
problem, which is solely and entirely caused byhumans. Today more than ever, we need to workin collaboration, effectively, quickly and farther together.
“Alone we go fast, together we go far”, and so wekeep moving forward.

Contact: worldoceancollective@gmail.com
World Ocean Collective
Official Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/worldoceancollective
Official Website: http://www.jean.jp/en
Instagram: @worldoceancollecitve,#mdsummitjapan, #worldoceancollecitve, #tothebeachforthebeach

References*1 - G7 2016 Ise-Shima Leaders’ Declaration
http://www.env.go.jp/water/marine_litter/conf/c01-07/ref04_1-1-1.pdf*2 – Economy that moves materials from extraction to the eventual landfill, incinerator or the environment as pollution. (5 Gyres
Journey Across the Arctic Final Report)*3 – Economy where all materials extracted and consumed are returned to the biosphere or manufacturer, leaving nothing topersist outside these natural and manmade cycles. (5 Gyres Journey Across the Arctic Final Report)
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5522e85be4b0b65a7c78ac96/t/57d7536dc534a5e4e6e0658c/1473729392061/5+Gyres+2
016+Arctic+Expedition+Summary+Report.pdf*4 - Cleaning Marine Debris from Alaska Beaches | INDIE AKASKA,
GoAK & Alaska Barge Project can be watched via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XScR5Khp8MU** – Toba Appeal: a statement written/edited/drafted by summit participants regarding the future countermeasure on marine
litter. It is categorized in 3 themes discussed during the summit; Biodiversity and Marine Littter, Reducing and Preventing
Marine Litter entering the Ocean, and Northern Pacific International Relations. The Appeal was then handed over to Mie Prefectural governor and to be officially released by Toshi Island.

Marine Litter News 12

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol.7(2): 13-15, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Taiwan EPA Will Ban All Microbeads-Containing Rinse-Off Cosmetics
Xavier Sun,
Researcher, Taiwan Watch Institutexavier0304@gmail.com

mL PE microbeads), many people became aware

1. Taiwan Watch Institute’s involvementthat they were actually washing their faces and bodSince 2014, the researcher of Taiwan Watch Instituteies with plastics, while also polluting our oceans at(TWI) have been surveying plastic microbead-con- the same time. Beginning 2015, the media started
taining rinse-off personal care cosmetic products

reporting on the issue non-stop, and lots of TWI’s(PCCPs) in the market, and made microbead sam- Facebook readers started sending their microbeadcontaining PCCPs to our institute for sample prepa-

ples with coffee filters.

ration. Currently TWI has dozens of microbead samPlastic microbead-containing PCCPs (along withples and their corresponding products.

their environmental impacts) had been addressedby Taiwanese public media before 2012, however 2. Major microbead materials in Taiwan PCCP
the issue has never been taken seriously

despiteproducts

the alarming fact that these PCCPs can easily passmost water treatment facility, absorb persistent or- TWI had surveyed more than 500 PCCPs, andganic pollutants, and get eaten by marine animals. about 200 of them contain microbeads. We have
Therefore beginning in 2014, TWI started to buy PC- found that in Taiwanese market, most microbeads
CPs containing polyethylene (PE), nylon, polymethyl

are made of polyethylene (>95%), and only a few use

methacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene (PP) and poly- nylon or polymethyl methacrylate as microbead maethylene terephthalate (PET)-containing PCCPs, andterials [Table and Figure 2].

use durable coffee filters to gather these microplastic
particles to demonstrate them in our social media
and press conferences. When people actually saw
the amount of microbeads in PCCPs (for example
in Figure 1, the 200 mL product contains at least 70

13and helping to expand the global database and the“Beat the Microbead” smartphone app ([3], Figure 3).
However since new related products keep coming
up, and therefore limit database-building ability andthe app’s product coverage, TWI decided to persuade the Taiwan EPA to put a ban on these polluting products once and for all. (Figure 3)[3].

Figure 1. This product contained 70 mL of dried PE microbeads
out of a total content of 200mL ©Xavier Sun

MICROBEAD INGREDIENTSNUMBERS OF PRODUCTS

Polyethylene

203

Polymethyl Methacrylate

7

Nylon

6

Total MB-containing PCCPs

213

3% 3%

Figure 3. The “Beat the Microbeads App” ©Xavier Sun

94%

However new related products keep coming up,
and therefore by limited database-building ability
and App’s product coverage, TWI at the same time
decide to persuade the Taiwan EPA to put a ban on● Polyethylene● Polymethyl Methacrylate● Nylonthese polluting products once and for all.

Figure 2. Major microbead ingredients in PCCPs on Taiwan
Market ©Xavier Sun

4. The current policy of Taiwan EPA

3. Cooperation with the “Plastic Soup Foundation”
Beginning 2015, TWI has been cooperating with an
NGO in the Netherlands—“Plastic Soup Foundation,
PSF”. Apart from adding a Traditional Chinese version to the website [2], we are also constructing a
microbead-containing PCCPs’ database in Taiwan
Marine Litter News 14

Since September 2015, TWI had arranged several
meetings with Taiwan FDA and EPA. After such efforts, in a press conference held on June 8th, 2016
(Figure 4), the Taiwan EPA finally decided to put aban on these “worst-designed products in humanhistory”. The amended draft suggested a ban on the
production and import of microbead-containing PC-

[1] The common materials used as micromeads in Taiwan
market: http://www.taiwanwatch.org.tw/node/1161(the attached excel file is at the bottom of the page)[2] https://www.beatthemicrobead.org/tw/[3] http://get.beatthemicrobead.org/[4] The Taiwan EPA’s draft on the ban (in Chinese only)
http://enews.epa.gov.tw/enews/fact_index.asp

Figure 4. The Press Conference on June 8th, 2016 ©Xavier Sun

CPs on July 1st, 2018, and the total ban on the sales
and usage on early 2020 [4].
Compared to the Microbead-Free Water Act enacted
in the United States, the current proposed scheduleby Taiwan EPA is, of course, not satisfactory. Therefore TWI and Greenpeace East Asia will attend thefollowing public hearing on the draft on November
4th, 2016. We will urge our EPA to amend the draft’s
schedule as the same as the U.S. and South Korea,
which is to ban the production and import by July 1st,
2017, and to eliminate them from the market by July
1st, 2018.
5. Beyond “intentionally-made” microplastics
We know that, these “intentionally-made microplastics in PCCPs” perhaps occupy only a fraction of all
the microplastics in our ocean. However the ban on
microbead-containing products has not just practical results, it is also a manifesto that we will not tolerate such stupid products anymore. If a government
cannot immediately put a ban on these intentionallymade microplastics, how can they take the marine
plastic debris seriously? There is no time for us tohesitate regarding the ban, for bow down to thepressure of Cosmetics Industries. We, representing
the Taiwan Watch Institute, urge the government totake aggressive measures against these products
and work hard on solving existing marine plastic
waste problems in the long run.
15

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 16-20, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine LitterAn overview of Marine Environmental Protection
Organizations in China
Chen Pei,
PhD student at Shanghai University,
chengpei821@126.com

More and more environmental organizations are As to the scope of the Directory, we adopt the concoming into focus on marine conservation with pro- cept of “Grand Ocean” that covers organizations
gressive deterioration of marine ecosystem health. working on ocean-land fields such as coastal wetNevertheless, people are still unaware of the num- lands, seabird conservation and opposition to reber and the contribution of marine conservation claim land from the sea. Based on activities/projects
organizations despite the ever- developing environ- and missions of those organizations, we categorize
mental protection organizations. Hence, Shanghai them into two: marine conservation organizations
Rendu NPO Development Center has decided to and marine conservation relevant organizations.
sort out all information of marine conservation or- We first searched all available information on the Inganizations and delve into resources. We released ternet and attempted to establish the contact with
the List of marine public service organizations of all organizations to obtain their information. As thechina in 2014 and 2015 and this report presents the human resources and other resources were quite
analysis and summary of the information collected limited, we were unable to have a full access to allin the year of 2015.

organizations and their information, so still some organizations still need further review.

Scope and Methodology
Categorization Criteria
The Directory collects all available information andcategorizes organizations working on marine con- The Directory categorizes social organizations
servation, including social organizations (i.e. foun- whose projects focus on marine conservation as
dations, social groups and private organizations), ‘marine conservation social organizations’, student
domestic institutions and student groups, aiming groups with projects focused on marine conserto provide a general introduction of current ma- vation in mainland China as ‘marine conservation
rine conservation organizations in China and even student groups’, foundations supporting marine
across the globe. However, the Directory still needs conservation in mainland China as ‘domestic mato be further improved and updated due to the pre- rine conservation related foundations’, international
sent communication failure and lack of information. foundations with projects supporting marine con-Marine Litter News 16

servation in mainland China as ‘international marine

lated social organizations, 14 domestic marine con-conservation related foundations’, social organiza-

servation related student groups, 4 domestic sup-tions with projects partly concerned with marine

porting social organizations, 30 domestic supporting

conservation in mainland China as ‘domestic marine

institutions and 2 international marine conservationconservation related social organizations’ , student

organization(currently with no projects in mainlandgroups with projects partly concerned with marine

China). However, the information of 75 organizations

conservation in mainland China as ‘domestic marine

in the Directory are not verified, and among them 29

conservation related student groups’, social organi-are domestic marine conservation supporting insti-

zations providing resources and support for marine

tutions.

conservation organizations in mainland China as

Collected information of Marine environmental pro-‘domestic supporting social organizations’, state-run

tection organizations is presented by geographicalinstitutions, and agencies providing resources anddistribution, founding time and registration classifica-

support for marine conservation organizations intion as the following.

mainland China as ‘domestic supporting institutions’.
Last but not least, the international marine conserva-

Geographical Distribution

tion organizations with no projects in mainland China
are categorized as ‘international marine conservation

Object of Analysis: 161 marine Marine environmentalorganizations’.

protection organizations, including 34 domestic marine conservation social organizations, 18 domestic

Statistics Analysis

marine conservation student groups, 7 domestic
marine conservation related foundations, 54 domes-

This year, the Directory includes 176 Marine environ-tic marine conservation related social organizations,mental protection organizations in total; 34 domestic

14 domestic marine conservation related student

marine conservation social organizations, 18 do-groups, 4 domestic supporting social organizations,

mestic marine conservation student groups, 7 do-

30 domestic supporting institutions, and excluding

mestic marine conservation related foundations andinternational marine conservation related social or-

13 international marine conservation related social

ganizations and international marine conservation

organizations, 54 domestic marine conservation re-social organizations.

Figure 1: Geographical Distribution of Marine environmental protection organizations (The Directory of 2014)17

Figure 2: Geographical Distribution of Marine environmental protection organizations (The Directory of 2015)

It is indicated from the Directory that the marine instance, despite its advanced economic developconservation (related) organizations in China have ment, Shanghai is not a place where there are aa clear geographic distribution. All organizations are great number of organizations.
distributed in eastern coastal regions, especially thenortheastern regions. In the Directory of 2014, the Distribution of Founding Time
top three provinces with most organizations were
Hainan Province, Guangdong Province and Fujian Object of Analysis: 84 domestic marine conservaProvince. In the Directory of 2015, the Top 3 prov- tion (related) organizations, excluding 13 internationinces with most organizations are Hainan Province, al marine conservation related social organizations
Guangzhou Province and Beijing. Guangzhou and and 2 international marine conservation organizaHainan are coastal regions, which makes two out tions, 30 domestic marine conservation supportingof three. It should be particularly addressed that institutions and other 47 organizations that lack inthe number of organizations is not equally propor- formation.
tionate to the region’s economic development. For

Figure 3: Distribution of Founding Time of Marine environmental protection organizations (The Directory of 2015)
Marine Litter News 18

According to the statistics, there were five marine the overall early stage of development for all current
conservation (related) organizations founded before marine conservation (related) organizations as well
1995 with Chinese Society of Oceanography as the as increasing attention from social organizations on
first founded in 1979. Within each five years that fol- marine conservation.
lowed, the number of organizations featured an increasing rise, with 36 newly-founded organizations Distribution of Registration Classification
between 2011 and 2015 and seven newly-foundedin 2015.

Object of Analysis: 129 Marine environmental protection organizations, excluding 13 international

According to the founding timeline, there are 36 or- marine conservation related social organizations, 2ganizations that have been founded within recent international marine conservation organizations, 18
five years, accounting for nearly half of the total num- domestic marine conservation student groups andber and there are 60 social organizations that have 14 domestic marine conservation related student
been founded within the past decade, indicating groups,

Foundation
8%

Lack of information
18%

Social organization
42%

Unregistered7%

Private non - enterprise
20%

Company
5%

Figure 4: Distribution of Registration Classification of Marine environmental protection organizations (The Directory of 2014)

Institution
21%
Social organization
29%

Foundation
5%

Company
7%
Lack of information
18%
Unregistered6%

Private non - enterprise
14%

Figure 5: Distribution of Registration Classification of Marine environmental protection organizations (The Directory of 2015)19

According to the statistics in The Directory of 2015,
there are 37 registered marine environmental protection organizations social organizations, accounting for the largest group. The Directory of 2015
newly includes state-run institutions, including 27
state-run ones that support marine conservationsocial organizations. Due to the limited information,
we were unable to define whether it was registeredand the registration classification for 23 organizations. Thereby, it can be learnt that the majority ofmarine environmental protection organizations go
to social organizations and private groups, while theminority go to foundations and companies.
Finally, the ultimate purpose of the Directory is not
merely to determine the number of Marine environmental protection organizations. It is well-known
that the issue of marine conservation cannot besolely under the charge of any single environmental
protection organization. While the sea is too vast for
one single organization to take charge ,of, any ideas that attempt to solve marine ecosystem healthwith one-side effort must end up futility. Therefore,
all environmental protection organizations shouldcollaborate with one another. By collecting all information of all Marine environmental protection organizations, Shanghai Rendu is looking forward topromoting exchange and advocates the shaping ofmarine conservation network that contribute to thefield of marine conservation.

Marine Litter News 20

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 21-23, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Greenpeace East Asia’s effort to reduce
microplastics problem in the ocean through banningmicroplastics use in consumer products.
Taehyun Park,
Campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia Seoul Office,taehyun.park@greenpeace.org

Plastic waste is becoming a bigger problem every

consumer products including face wash, scrubs,day. Annually it is estimated that around 8 mil- toothpastes and even in kitchen cleaners. The problion tons of plastics enter our oceans (Jambeck et

lem with these innocent looking colourful bits in oural., 2015) where they break into smaller and smaller products is that they are too small to be filtered byparticles, but never fully biodegrade, and therefore

the waste- water treatment and therefore go straightpersisting as microplastics in our oceans. There arefrom our sinks, down the drain and eventually to ournow up to 51 trillion microplastic particles estimatedrivers, lakes and oceans. Microplastics, due to their

to be floating in the oceans (Van Sebille et al., 2015). size, have become ubiquitous in the oceans; seabed,
Plastic pollution is a giant problem for all corners ofwater colum, water surface and even in the Arctic ice

the world. Eliminating the unnecessary plastics from

(Van Sebille et al., 2015). Though the true extent andtheir sourcees is important to tacklinge this issue, to- impact of the pollution of microplatics are still being
gether with other various efforts such as clean-ups. worked out, the evidence we know so far is alarming.
The surest and most feasible place to start the conversation would be the plastics that are simply re- The In order to join the effort to reduce plastic ocean
placeable with alternatives; and microbeads in con- waste, Greenpeace East Asia launched our camsumer products are exactly that- unnecessary andpaign to ban the microbeads jointly in Korea, Taiwan

replaceable.

and Hong Kong. Through our campaign “My Little
Plastic”, Greenpeace East Asia is asking the Kore-

Through various campaigns around the world, mostan government to ban microbeads in all consumer

notably Beat the Microbeads campaign, there has

products. Our campaign launched with a science re-been some great effort to ban the unnecessary pol- view report that exposed the shocking scientific evilutants that are microbeads. Microbeads are small

dence showing that microplastics are found in manysolid plastic particles less than 5mm that are in- species that we eat as seafood. Up to 170 species
tentionally made small. They are added to variousof marine animals have been found to ingest plastics

21

(Vegter et al., 2014) but microplastics research is a

On 29 September, Korean Ministry of Food andrelatively new and ongoing research. However, cur- Drugs Safety announced that microplastics are to
rent research efforts have shown that microplasics

be banned as ingredients in cosmetics products.

are being ingested by many species and can travel This announcement was especially meaningful as
up the food chain. Given such evidence, more re- the reason for revision was the environmental imsearch is urgently needed to determine the effect topact this ingredient would have, which was a firsthuman consumption of microplastic ingested sea- for any cosmetics legislation in Korea. After Taiwan’s
food. Through this expose, we elevated the micro- announcement, it was the first official progress toplastic problem from our everyday products fromwards a microplastics ban in East Asia. In turn, Ko-environmental impact to its cycle back to us, helping

rean government’s amendment helped to bring for-to raise awareness to the issue.

ward the deadline for the ban in Taiwan by 2 years.
Additionally, through the joint efforts of GreenpeaceThis campaign called for support from various sec- East Asia and Korean Women’s Environmental
tors such as scientists, NGOs and industry alike

Network(KWEN), one of the member of National As-

to this pressing problem. 7 environmental NGOs

sembly (Kang Byungwon) submitted the “Microplas-

signed the statement to call for ban on microplas- tics banning Bill” which are actually 3 Bills to revise
tics in Korea, joining our voices and forces against

appropriate legislations to bring about a complete

ocean pollution. Through the global corporate rank- ban in microplastics as ingredients in cosmetics,
ing of the top 30 global cosmetics and personal

pharmaceutical products (under which toothpaste iscare product companies, consumers and retailers

regulated) and general chemical products. If these

could see just how confusing it is to know which

Bills are passed, this would make it the strongest le-products contain microbeads. Through the pres- gal regulation across the globe against microplastics
sure of the ranking, some of the biggest companies

use in consumer products. This would set a good

globally improved their transparency or commitment

precedent for not only the neighboring nations, but

strength against microbeads use including P&G, LG

for all governments that microplastics ban should be

Household & Health Care, Shisheido, Estee Lauderdone to ensure clean oceans and safe seafood.

and Amore Pacific. This means more transparency
for the public to know exactly which brands have

However, we still have a long way until the complete

phased out microbeads and what is the extent of

ban of microplastics in consumer products as thetheir commitments.

legislative processes Bill is passed and we enjoy thestrengthened regulations against micoplastics use in

Having the major companies change sends a strong

consumer products. Nonetheless, this is an impor-message across the whole industry about their prod- tant step towards controlling the ocean plastic polluuct quality and responsibility as well as transparency. tion. Since we started our campaign in Korea in June,
The cosmetics and personal care product industry

Greenpeace has seen good and rapid progress in

is moving towards the right direction, but it is a vol- the plastics conversation in Korea, not only limited tountary one. The only way to ensure the microbeads

microplastics. Greenpeace will continue to join theare out of our products, and for good is to ban themfight against ocean plastic pollution to make surelegally. The support came through via concernedthat our future generations

members of the National Assembly who questioned
the relevant ministries during the National Audit in
September last year.
Marine Litter News 22

Byung Won Kang (Congress man), Women’s network, Greenpeace East Asia Seoul Office requiring legal banning

Performance of campaigners of Greenpeace East Asia Seoul Office activists for banning microplastics

23

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 24-26, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Participating Japan-Korea workshop for exchanging anddiscussing issues about marine litter
Taehui Kim
President of Marine Environmental Education Center, Korea
konggwuo@hanmail.net

A workshop for exchanging and discussing issues

a traditional way. We were told that villagers earned

about marine litter was held in the island of Tsushima

their living by drying seafood and selling them. Manyin Japan from 15th to 17th of July, 2016. The work- litters were found on the coast and we could easshop was organized and sponsored by Nakasaki

ily notice that some of them came from Korea andPrefecture of, Japan and was aimed (1) to address

China by their Korean and Chinese labels. I was em-

marine debris problems in Japan and Korea, (2) tobarrassed because there were many kinds of Ko-

develop policies and strategies against the mat- rean trashes including daily living like lighter, plastic
ter, and (3) to find ways to promote awareness andbags for ramen or snacks, and beverage bottles.

develop outreaching program through case study The trashes reminded me of the fact that marine litand discussion. City officials from Busan, Korea andter is an international problem and that we need to

Nakasaki, Japan, college and high school students

cooperate to cope with it. After going back to Village

from both countries, and NGO members participat- assemblage hall of Iki, we heard the presentation
ed in the workshop.

about the present status of marine debris in Korea
and Japan. First Dr. Jongmyoung Lee of OSEAN,

Dr. Jongmyoung Lee, ICC country coordinator in Ko- presented the current status of marine debris probrea and Chief Scientist of Korea Marine Litter Institutelem in Korea. He told us the estimated amount andof OSEAN, invited me to participate in the workshop

origin of marine debris in Korea. He also showed us

for three days. I would like to share my experience inthe composition of top 10 ranked items in marine

the workshop with OSEAN members.

debris and the amount of foreign debris in Korean
coast. After his lecture, he received many questions

On the first of the day of arriving, all participants gath- from students and answered them. In this processered at Youth house of Iki, an small island near Tsu- all of participants obtained much valuable informashima, and greeted one another. Next morning, alltion about the marine debris problem and sharedparticipants went to the Village hall of Iki and started

guilty feeling for the nature. Next, Ms. Kojima Azusa

main workshop programs. First we went to the coastof JEAN, Japan, presented the fact that Japan hasof Kisakazozen hama and looked around. The vil- similar marine debris problems to Korea and alsolage in the coast was small and houses were built inMarine Litter News 24

showed the pictures of coast packed with marinedebris and real plastic items collected from the coast. seek the works they could do. Recently they had theFrom these two lectures we recognized how serious

chance to clean up the beach with office workers

the marine debris problem is.

and other college students. They also had a photo
exhibition. Next, activists from Iki introduced their ac-

After lunch, students from Tongyeong High School

tivities and hoped to develop a tour program associ-introduced their activities for the reduction of marine

ated with beach clean-up.

debris on the beach. They picked up the marine litters from designated beach once a week and re- As the final presenter, an official from City of Goto
corded these items. Based on data, they analyzed

introduced the city’s program to extract oil from Sty-which items were the biggest contributors androfoam and got many questions about the program.

where they came from. After analysis they visited thecity office and village hall to persuade for counter- While finishing all-day program, we had delicious dinmeasure programs against marine debris. They also

ner and then gathered in the workshop room again

held photo exhibition with pictures taken during theirto have discussions and develop countermeasureactivities. It was a huge success. We all sent warm

policies against marine litter. During this discussion, I

applauses and encouraged them to continue theirwas very impressed with the young presenters who

activities. Next presenter was Mr. Jongho Lee, anwere addressing the matter, who had deep thoughts

elementary school teacher in Korea introduced his

and put great effort to come up with measures.

activities against marine debris. He told us he started
his activity with his hope to hand over beautiful na- On the third day, before departing Iki we shared eture to their children. He picked up trashes on the

mail addresses and phone numbers with one an-beach with his colleagues once a week. He devel- other for the further communication. We also, looked
oped educational materials related to marine debris

around the island and took pictures.

and then taught his students with them. He brought
his education materials to the workshop, which wereThrough this workshop, I witnessed the enthusiasm

very helpful to the participants.

and the activities of all participants in tackling themarine debris problem. The trip also hardened my

The following Japanese presenter told their experi- thought on how essential it is to cooperate with otherences. At first, students from Nakasaki University

nations to help solve marine debris issues. I would

presented their activities against marine debris. They

like to thank Dr. Jongmyung Lee for inviting me tocleaned up the beach and tried to find out the cause

this workshop.

and solutions for the marine debris problem andBeautiful coast of Iki Island

Plastic bottle originated from Korea
25

Plastic buoy originated from China

Dr. Jongmyoung Lee explained the problems caused bystyrofoam buoy

Dr. Jongmyoung Lee presented Korean marine debris

Japanese student expressed her opinion about marine debris

Kojima Azusa presented Japanese marine debris

Mr. Jongho Lee showed educational materials for marine
debris program

An official from City of Goto introduced city’s program

Participants developed countermeasures against marine debris

Marine Litter News 26

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 27-30, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Kate Le Souef,
Manager, Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
shorelinecleanup@vanaqua.org

Canadians love being around the water. With theon the shorelines of Stanley Park in Vancouver. The

longest coastline in the world and thousands of lakes

program expanded to shorelines throughout theand rivers, every Canadian lives near a shoreline. province of British Columbia and became a national
Since 1994, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

initiative in 2002. Since 2010, the Vancouver Aquar-

has been encouraging Canadians to protect their lo- ium has partnered with WWF-Canada to deliver thecal waterways and wildlife by coordinating shoreline

program. This year, more than 2,300 volunteer-led

cleanups. A joint initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium

cleanups were registered with the Shoreline Cleanup,

and WWF-Canada and presented by Loblaw Com- with events in every province and territory, and morepanies Limited, the Shoreline Cleanup is celebrating

than 75,000 registrants in total.

the most cleanups in one year in 2016, with more

Our team loves to support new and returning clean-

than 2,300 cleanups across Canada.

up coordinators. We provide ongoing support toour returning coordinators, many of whom have

More than 20 years of history

been coordinating cleanups for more than 10 years.
We have developed education guides for teachers,

Our mission is to promote understanding and aware- written specifically to match provincial curriculum
ness of shoreline litter issues by engaging Canadians

requirements. By partnering with groups like youth

to rehabilitate shoreline areas through cleanups. We

organisations, federal and regional parks agencies,

envision a fully engaged and committed public keep- and key municipalities, we are constantly reachinging all Canadian shorelines free from litter.

out to new audiences who share our mission to ac-

The Shoreline Cleanup began in 1994, when vol- tivate volunteers and keep Canada’s beautiful shoreunteers from the Vancouver Aquarium decided tolines free of litter.

take action against litter by coordinating a cleanup

27

Our data

Where does Canadian litter come from?

Every cleanup group records litter data, contributing

Shoreline litter in Canada comes from many sourc-

to our national litter database which is shared withes, but it’s always the result of human activities. At

the International Coastal Cleanup. Year after year, popular shorelines close to cities and towns, litterthe top items are cigarette butts and single use dis- may be accidentally or deliberately dumped rightposable items. Much of this litter could be avoided byat the shoreline. At other shorelines, wind, rain andusing reusable drink bottles, coffee mugs, shopping

currents may have carried litter huge distances frombags and other items. Summary data for cleanups inwhere it was originally generated.

2015 are presented below, including our ‘Dirty Doz- Most shoreline litter comes from recreational activien’, which are the most common items picked up

ties, including food wrappers, drink containers, plas-by our volunteers. Some of our most unusual items

tic bags, caps, lids and cans. Smoking also gener-

include a rainbow clown wig, a piano, yoga pants

ates litter, and every year, cigarette butts are the mostand a fire extinguisher.

common litter item found on our shorelines. Fishingand shipping can also contribute litter to our shore-

Table 1: Summary data from cleanups across lines, including particularly harmful items such as
Canada in 2015
fishing line, nets, oil bottles, rope, crab/lobster traps
and sinkers.
Total
Many shorelines such as river beds also become a
Number of registered cleanups
2,016
dumping ground for large items that should be disNumber of registered participants
59,136
posed at a dump. This garbage can include building
Weight of litter removed (kg)
175,932
and construction materials, household appliances,
Distance of shoreline cleaned (km)3,211Trash bags filled
11,910tires, batteries and even car parts.
Recycling bags filled
3,866
Natural disasters such as typhoons, hurricanes andtsunamis can wash huge volumes of debris into waTable 2: The ‘Dirty Dozen’, the most common items terways in a short period of time. The 2011 tsunami
collected on cleanups throughout Canada in 2015 in Japan is a tragic example. Tonnes of debris fromJapan washed up on Canada’s western shores in
Litter item
Quantity
the months and years following the disaster.
1
Cigarette Butts
409,417
2
Food Wrappers
93,129What’s the threat in Canada?
3
Plastic Bottle Caps
50,904
4
Plastic Beverage Bottles
37,769Litter poses a number of direct threats to wildlife.
5
Beverage Cans
27,814
Items such as rope, plastic strapping bands, six
6
Other Plastic & Foam
27,110pack rings and wire can entangle aquatic animals.
7
Straws & Stirrers
27,047
Once entangled, animals may be unable to swim or
8
Other Plastic Bags
25,047find food and they may slowly starve. In some cases,
9
Metal Bottle Caps
22,093
10
Plastic Grocery Bags
20,492
animals cannot surface to breathe, resulting in suffo11 Plastic Lids
19,365
cation. Estimates from the west coast of Vancouver
12 Paper Cups & Plates
17,819Island suggest that hundreds of sea lions are currently suffering from entanglement.

Marine Litter News 28

Abandoned fishing gear such as lines, nets, traps The challenge
and pots pose a threat to wildlife in the form of ghost
fishing. These items are specifically designed to trap

We know that a cleanup can be the first step in aquat-

and catch animals, so they continue to catch and trap

ic conservation for an individual or team, and many

fish, mammals, turtles, and seabirds long after they’veof our volunteers go on to take meaningful action to

been discarded or lost.

reduce their personal waste, influence their friends

Scientists are also finding a growing number of fresh- and family, or introduce new policies at their school
water and marine animals that have eaten litter by ac- or workplace.
cident. Ingesting litter can affect an animal’s ability to

However, we know that cleanups alone cannot solve

eat, breathe and move, leading to starvation, choking

the problem of litter and plastic in our waterways.

or fatal poisoning.

Cleanups are just one part of the overall strategy need-

A pervasive and emerging threat, microplastics are

ed to address this global issue. Ultimately, changing

being found in shorelines and waterways acrossconsumer behaviour to refuse single use plastic items,

Canada. Microplastics include deliberately manufac- providing incentives for industry to use plastic alternatured items such as microbeads and pellets, as welltives, and properly collecting, disposing and recycling

as microplastics that break down from larger piecesof waste is needed to ensure a lasting reduction ofof plastic. Recent research by Dr. Peter Ross at theplastic pollution in our oceans and waterways.

Vancouver Aquarium shows that zooplankton, theUntil we reach that point, we will continue to engage

smallest animals in the food chain, are eating these

the Canadian public using the best tool we have: di-tiny pieces of plastic. Microplastics may even be trans- rect action through shoreline cleanups.
ferred up the food chain, from zooplankton to fish tobirds and mammals.

A cleanup on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada

29

Site: www.shorelinecleanup.ca
Blog: www.aquablog.ca/category/shoreline-cleanup
Twitter @cleanshorelines
Instagram @shorelinecleanup

Two volunteers clean a shoreline in Vancouver, Canada

A snowy shoreline cleanup in Edmonton, Alberta

Marine Litter News 30

A shoreline cleanup in Halifax, Nova Scotia

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 31-32, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Development of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)’s
ALDFG Web Portal – How you can be involved!!
Kelsey Richardson,
University of Tasmania, Australia and Australia’s Commonwealth,
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Kelsey.Richardson@csiro.auto become involved with the GGGI and will share
information about what you know in your region. In
Hello Marine Litter News community members and addition to building evidence on the impacts of dersubscribers. My name is Kelsey Richardson. I’m elict gear, working groups are developing solutions
an incoming PhD student with the University of Tas- and defining best practices to inform policies.
mania in Australia, and am working with Australia’s
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO) to research the sources,
amounts, types, fates and impacts of abandoned,
lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG)1 .

Nice to meet you!

I’ve spent the last year working with CSIRO andthe Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to collate
data from around the world for the development ofa global ghost gear database and web portal. For
those of you unfamiliar with the GGGI, the aim is tohelp solve the problem of lost or abandoned fishingGroup photo from the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Global Ghost Geargear worldwide (www.ghostgear.org). Participants Initiative (GGGI) in Miami, Florida, USA, 13 October 2016 © World
include stakeholders from the fishing industry, the Animal Protection
private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations.
Ghost gear database and web portal goals

Database and web portal work featured atannual GGGI meeting, Miami, Florida, USA

The ultimate goal for the GGGI database and web
portal is to provide a publically accessible, interactive resource that increases our knowledge about
At a recent GGGI meeting, the database and web the sources, amounts, types, fates and impacts ofportal was highlighted by the GGGI’s Building Evi- ALDFG around the world. Analysis will reveal ghost
dence Working Group. At the meeting, we identi- gear ‘hotspots’, high-risk fisheries and where andfied the Asia Pacific as a region to focus. I’m hoping when we find different types of gear.
that the Marine Litter News community is interested
1 ALDFG is also commonly referred to as derelict fishing gear (DFG)or ghost gear.

31Here’s the concept:

Figure 1. How the web portal will work: user enters net characteristics, image and location. Portal shows image(s) of nets with similar
characteristics, lists fisheries that use nets with similar characteristics, known information about what wildlife are known to have beenentangled by similar nets. Global navigable map shows areas where gear types - and entanglement incidents - have been reported. NB
map shown is for illustrative purposes only.

How can you get involved?

you’ve contributed information. No raw or disaggregated data will be made available without express
consent of all parties.

Database and web portal development relies on
people sharing information about ALDFG. That’s
where you come in! We’re asking you to share your Become involved with the Global Ghost Gear Initiaknowledge, data, and connections. It’s a big pro- tive! More information about the GGGI can be foundat www.ghostgear.org.
ject, and I’m very excited about it.

What information do we want?
1) Share with us the locations where you find
ALDFG(and where you’ve looked)!
2) Tell us about any animals caught in nets; tell us
what kind of gear animals are caught in; and
3) Take measurements and photos of nets, traps
and animals caught.
We are particularly interested in specific gear
characteristics including, measurements of twine
construction, mesh size, colour, and the presence/
absence of knots. See link: http://oa-16-cdc.it.csiro.
au/ghostnet/getNetType-2.html

Source: World Animal Protection

Let’s continue the conversation!

If this article has piqued your curiosity and you’d
like to learn more such as how you can become involved and help with this work from within your own
country, I’d love to connect! Please feel free to conAll data contributing to the database will remain tact me via email at Kelsey.Richardson@csiro.au oranonymous, and we can discuss any privacy con- by phone at +61362325283.
cerns with groups to ensure that any particularly
sensitive data is not shared. We can also post yourgroup’s logo if you’re happy for people to know
Marine Litter News 32

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 33-34, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Monthly webinar for capacity building ofNGOs in Asian region
Sunwook Hong,
President of Our Sea of East Asia Network
oceanook@gmail.com

The 60th monthly webinar on marine litter by Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML) was heldon 20th of December, in which Korean, Chinese (both Taiwan and mainland), and Vietnamese NGOs were
together. Asian countries have been pointed out as hot spots of marine plastic litter contributing to world
ocean pollution. To reduce marine debris in terms of amount and impact, civil societies’ role is very important. Japanese and Korean NGOs have built expertise on the marine litter issue. However, when it comes to
the Asian region, NGOs in the countries have worked separately and rarely exchange amongst themselves
to build their capacity. There has also been no system to support them.
Since October 2011, OSEAN, secretariat of East Asia Civil Forum on Marine Litter (EAML, former of APML)
has run a monthly webinar on the regular basis to raise expertise of NGOs on marine litter. We choose
recent scientific papers and important documents and study together. Recent papers we dealt with include, ‘Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean by Jambeck et al. (March 2015)’, ‘Stemming the Tide:
Land-based strategies for a plastic free ocean by Ocean Conservancy & McKinsey Center for Businessand Environment (November 2015)’ ‘Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textile
in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption by Rochman et al. (June 2016)’, ‘ Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions byNapper and Thompson (December 2016)’ etc. English is not the mother tongue to every participant, whichcauses difficulty in communication but overall the process has been a meaningful ways to learn from eachother and to move forward for a better ocean.
From the next month, 7 more participants from a variety of NGOs in China will join the webinar. We hope
NGOs are more interested in scientific findings and knowledge to date and can use them in their activities.

33

SinceParticipantsCommunication ToolOct 2011

JEAN (Japan), OSEAN (Korea)

Skype

July 2014

SOW (Taiwan), OSEAN

Skype

August 2016

Shanghai Rendu Ocean (Mainland China),
GreenHub (Vietnam), SOW, OSEAN

Gotomeeting

Monthly webinar on marine litter for NGOs in Asian region

Monthly webinar on marine litter for NGOs in Asian region

Marine Litter News 34

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 7(2): 35-36, December 2016
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Academic Paper Published : A Study on the Annual Inflow
and Its Control of Styrofoam Buoy Debris in Oyster
Aquaculture Farm in Gyeongnam, Korea
Sunwook Hong,
President of OSEAN,
oceanook@gmail.com

An academic paper about quantitative estimate of styrofoam buoy debris originated from oyster farms in
Gyeongnam province and its reduction proposal has been published (through interview with aquaculture
farmers.) The paper was co-written by OSEAN and Korea Maritime Institute and published at Ocean Policy
Research in summer of 2016 (in Korean with English abstract).
Discarded styrofoam buoy is a big part of overall marine litter. Moreover, those buoys broken into smaller
microplastics that are not recollectable cause environmental and biological problems. Resolving this issue
is an important step towards resolvinge Korean marine litter problems.
OSEAN has been approaching this problem in different angles and suggested a solution of gathering different stakeholder’s wisdom. However, it was not easy work to listen to the voices of the actual consumers/ disposers of buoys, the aquaculture farmers.
This piece of recent work of OSEAN has captured those voices by interviewing 21 different aquaculture
farmers for 1-2 hours each. The locations of their farms are in Gyeongnam province where aquaculture is
the most prominent.
Throughout the research, we found that they re-collect only 17% of the used buoys, but discard 60%. Discarded buoys are estimated to be about 670 thousand ea a year.
Tongyoung, a famous district for aquaculture, uses the most number of buoys, but also discarded less. It is
assumed to be a positive result from the obligatory re-collection rate.
Unbelievably high discarding rate of buoys must be reduced, and recollection rate and recycle rate must
be increased.
To stimulate aforementioned results, supporting policy to recollect used buoys, providing adequate training,establishing quantitative management system and an overall monitoring system are necessary.
This research was funded by the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, Yeong Nam Sea Grant Center, andGyeongnam Province and performed in 2015.

35

A Study on the Annual Inflow and Its Control of
Styrofoam Buoy Debris in Oyster Aquaculture Farm in
Gyeongnam, Korea
Lee, Jong Myoung · Jang, Yong Chang · Hong, Su Yeon · Lee, Jong Su ·Kim, Kyung Shin · Choi, Hee Jung · Hong, Sun Wook

<Abstract>
Marine plastic debris has grown into a global environmental issue. In Korea, recent researches
show that Styrofoam buoys debris generated from oyster aquaculture farms have seriously
affected coastal environment. We estimated the annual inflow of Styrofoam buoy debris in theoyster farms in Gyeongnam Province based on the in-depth interviews with fishermen. The inflow was calculated to be about 668,000 buoy debris in 3,554 ha of the oyster farms. The quantityof discarded buoys was relatively lower in Tongyeong than those in Geoje and Goseong, whereas
the total number of buoys in use was highest in Tongyeong. This lower production of buoy debris
is attributable to institutional factors (obligatory retrieval by fishermen) than biophysical factors(location, wind, tide, etc). Main causes of buoy debris include unintended loss, conflicts withother fishery types, and mismanagement. The study suggests raising the rate of obligatory retrieval, supporting transportation, establishing quantitative information system, and raising theawareness of fishermen to more effectively control used buoys.
Key words: Marine Plastic Debris, Styrofoam Buoy, Aquaculture, Annual Inflow, In-DepthInterview

Marine Litter News 36

What is Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter?
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter is a network
established in 2009, made of NGO groups dedicatedto protection of marine environment from marine litter in
Asia Pacific countries.

Network member groups are:Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN)Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN)
Taiwan Ocean Cleanup Alliance (TOCA)
Shanghai Rendu Ocean NPO Development Center
Kewkradong Bangladesh
ICC Philippines
Tangaroa Blue Foundation
Ocean Conservancy

mit - Shimonoseki•Nagato Meeting’ on October 16-18,
2009, in Shimonoseki, Japan. OSEAN suggested in the
East Asian countries are connected to each other en- meeting to start an ‘East Asian Civil Forum on Marine
vironmentally, geographically, historically, or culturally Litter’ through which relevant NGOs and organizations
through shared regional seas. The East Asian region is in the East Asia could share experiences and informaone of the most dynamic economic centers with some of tion and work together on the marine debris problems.
the busiest shipping lanes in the world. With the spread OSEAN and JEAN have reached a consensus to launchof mass production and consumption over the last dec- the forum and publish biannual newsletters. So we haveades came the huge increase in solid waste generation. launched the East Asian Civil Forum on Marine Litter
There are, however, not enough waste treatment facilities and we are delivering marine debris news from member
and management measures, which makes the region countries via e-mail to people who are concerned withthis problem on local, national, and regional levels. In latevulnerable to marine debris pollution.
2012 now, we have four members above. We hope that
Entering the seas in large amounts, floating debris has the forum could provide a venue for all of us to share our
become a source of concerns and conflicts among vision, experiences, and creative actions.
some neighboring countries. This transboundary environmental problem requires concerted efforts of all This is the first effort to link the East Asian people bethe relevant stakeholders beyond sectoral and political yond geographical and language barriers to a common
boundaries. In this regard, OSEAN (Our Sea of East goal of protecting our seas from marine debris pollution.
Asia Network) and JEAN (Japan Environmental Action NGOs and organizations that have interests and passion
Network), the marine debris NGOs in Korea and Japan, to make our seas clean and healthy are more than welhave shared a vision in which people in the East Asia come to join us. For more information, you can contact
could act together as one community in protecting our us at loveseakorea@empas.com. Please let us know if
precious marine ecosystems. We believe that NGOs in you have any problem in receiving the newsletter. Thesethe East Asian countries have an important role in shar- articles are also available online at http://cafe.naver.com/
ing experiences and acting together to address the ma- osean.
rine debris issue in the region from the bottom up.
Secretariat,
Sunwook Hong (OSEAN) and Kojima Azusa (JEAN)
The city governments of Shimonoseki and Nagato,
and JEAN co-organized ‘2009 Marine Litter Sum-To the readers,37Asia Pacific CIvil Forum on Marine LitterJapan Environmental Action Network (JEAN)
202, Mansion SOPHIA,
3-4-12, Minami-Cho, Kokubunji-Shi, Tokyo, Japan
URL http://www.jean.jp
E-mail Cleanup@jean.jp
TEL +81-42-322-0712
FAX +81-42-324-8252

Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN)

717, Leadersvill, 23-96, Jukrim 4ro, Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, 650-826, South Korea
URL http://cafe.naver.com/osean E-mail loveseakorea@empas.com
TEL +82-55-649-5224
FAX +82-303-0001-4478

Taiwan Ocean Cleanup Alliance (TOCA)

97057, No.87, Fuyang Rd., Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan
URL http:// www.icctaiwan.org.tw E-mail kuroshio@seed.net.tw
TEL +886-3-857-8148
FAX +886-3-857-8948

Shanghai Rendu Ocean NPO Development Center

Room 222, Building C, No.633, Eshan Rd, Shanghai, China, Zip Code 200127
URL http://www.jintan.org E-mail liuyonglun@163.com
TEL +86-21-61762119

Kewkradong Bangladesh

C4 Arambag Eastern Housing, Mirpur-7, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
Muntasir@gmail.com
TEL +88 01911 310 275

ICC Philippines

Units 8 & 9, CCP Bay Terminal, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines,
URL http://sites.google.com/site/iccphilippines/home
Blog: coastalcleanupphilippines@blogspot.com
Email: iccphilippines@gmail.com
Mobile No. : +63917.372.87.02

Tangaroa Blue Foundation

PO Box 757, Port Douglas, QLD 4877, Australia
Web: www.tangaroablue.org Email: info@tangaroablue.org
TEL+61.410166684

Ocean Conservancy

1300 19th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Web: ww.oceanconservancy.org Email: cleanup@oceanconservancy.org
TEL +1-202-429-5609※ We truly thank Young Jun Andrew Kim for English proofreading of this issue.