ISSN 2287-8971

Marine Litter News
Volume 8 • Issue 2 • December 2017
In this volume
1. The First Taiwan Marine Debris Symposium
2. Successful story of reducing weather balloon release and its impact in Australia
3. The polystyrene issue in the Ha Long-Cat Ba coastal area of Vietnam – More effort and cooperation needed
4. Observations from Craft Recycling Villages
5. A Brief Introduction of Plastic Marine Debris in China
6. The role of civil society in environmental protection and climate change response
7. The first experience in Taiwan to join the world’s largest marine pollution survey
8. Addressing Styrofoam buoy marine debris pollution with stakeholders’ participation
9. A paper titled ‘Characteristics of meso-sized plastic marine debris on 20 beaches in Korea’publishedon the Marine Pollution Bulletin✽ New member - GreenHub

Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine LitterPreface

Marine Litter News

Vol. 8(2), December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Dear readers,
We are very pleased to release this issue, which includes fascinating stories from China (the mainland and Taiwan), Vietnam, South Korea, Australia and the United States. All stories in this issue came from our members in the Asia Pacific
Civil Forum (APML) who are passionate about reducing quantities of marine debris and mitigating negative impacts in the
Asia Pacific region. We have learned very practical lessons from our member countries. We believe sharing best practices
from other countries and regions motivates and encourages our efforts. We have learned very practical lessons from ourmember countries.
This issue introduces visual achievements. Exciting experiences from the Marine Debris Symposium held in Taiwan are
vividly illustrated with photos. Some of our members in the APML have participated the global project undertaken by
CSIRO (see the latest issue of Marine Litter News) and our Taiwanese members describe their first experience. There isalso a story on the successful reduction of synthetic weather balloon releases in Australia. Moreover, two articles from
Vietnam motivate us to put more effort and support to the country. Recycling system in the villages of Vietnam introduceda challenging issue which provides not only job opportunities to local people and businesses while at the same time raising concerns about human health and environment.
Understanding of plastic pollution in China has increased through cooperation between NGOs and researchers. Furthermore the government (SOA) launched the monitoring of offshore microplastics and 170 researchers have come together
through the Chinese social network of WeChat. France-South Korea forum held in South Korea reminds us the issue weare facing is truly global. OSEAN in its research continues to improve the understanding of meso-sized marine plastic
debris along the coasts by publishing a paper in Marine Pollution Bulletin and targeting the most abundant marine debris(which is the same regardless of the size of the marine debris). This is none other than debris from Styrofoam buoy, which
can be traced back to aquaculture of oyster and seaweed.
As the editor, I can say for certain that our members’ efforts for many years are enough to be admired and I wish theirefforts to be long lasting and sustainable despite their struggles against lack of financial and human resources.
We’ve been empowering the key persons of our member organizations through monthly webinars. In the upcoming
spring, many of us will present our efforts at the 6th International Marine Debris Conference in San Diego. I hope I canmeet those of you readers who are interested and concerned in this issue

With love,
December 2017

Editor, Sunwook Hong
(Ph.D., President of OSEAN)✽ Ms. Hyunjung Kim voluntarily assists to edit Marine Litter News.

Assistant editor, Hyunjung Kim(Volunteer of OSEAN)ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 2-5, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

The First Taiwan Marine Debris Symposium

Ron Shih
Researcher, Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundationron.shih86@gmail.com

On May 20-21, 2017, more than 220 participants from different professions and international pioneering practitioners
attended the Marine Debris Symposium held in Keelung, Taiwan. This symposium was organized by Tse-Xin Organic
Agriculture Foundation (TOAF), National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST) and other organizations.
It marked the very first time in Taiwan that representatives from academia, government, and NGOs, as well as experts
from overseas convened together to discuss potential strategies to tackle the problem of marine debris, and to come up
with advice for policy makers.

Group photo of invited speakers and participants

Marine Litter News 2

Having dedicated itself to promoting organic farming and environment protection in Taiwan for 20 years, TOAF is turning
its attention to the ocean after realizing how seriously marine debris impact the well beings of marine life and humans.
Since the beginning of 2016, TOAF has been actively advocating plastic-reduction and plastic-free education. Over the
past 2 years, hundreds of lectures and beach cleanup activities were hosted by TOAF, helping more than 60 thousand
attendants learn the ways of leading plastic-free lives so as to protect the ocean and marine species.
In the past decade, many NGOs in Taiwan began promoting beach cleanup, conducting education programs, and initiating relevant campaigns in order to raise public awareness about marine debris. Also, there has been a small numberof researchers in Taiwan studying issues associated with marine debris. Experiences from other countries showed thatthe results of scientific research would quite possibly become an important guidance for solutions and policy making
towards addressing an environmental issue. However, compared with other countries in Asia, Taiwan’s marine debris
research is still at a preliminary stage, and the overall effort engaged with marine debris issues remains quite limited.
Therefore, this symposium was aimed to strengthen the communication network and encourage conversation among
relevant stakeholders. Introducing the topics and methods used by foreign scholars served as good references for domestic scholars. Exchanging the experiences of policy advocacy practices based upon research results also provided
demonstrations on how to leverage efforts from academia.
This symposium was composed of six sessions, and both foreign guest speakers and domestic speakers had directinteractions to share their perspectives and experiences under the respective topic. On the first day, participants were
informed on the types and impacts of marine debris, especially on the study of microplastic pollution and derelict fishing gears. At the same time, international NGOs shared how to integrate their expertise and seek government-backed
partnerships, and noted the importance of starting a dialogue with industries in order to seek a variety of solutions to themarine debris issue. On the second day, the focus was on the challenges from the Taiwanese government’s perspective
and the education plans on marine debris. Domestic industry and government officials respectively proposed forwardlooking suggestions on solutions to the problem of marine debris, including beach adoption and education to raise publicawareness. In panel discussion, enhancing communication with upstream industries, actively engaging in dialogue withthe government to obtain integrated policy support, and monitoring of the marine environment were also topics addressed by our guest speakers.
Three initiatives were finally proposed by the representative of the main organizer (TOAF). First, actively conducting education and outreach on marine debris is necessary since education is the basis for raising public awareness. Second,
promoting research and international cooperation in order to provide the basis for integrated policy making is urgent. The
third conclusion was to, widely encourage the industries to practice the concept of circular economy in order to mitigate
the threat of marine debris from the source.
The two-day symposium is a new milestone for Taiwan, and many participants were encouraged by the collective energy
and cross-sectoral communication. However, much work remains to be done to get the whole picture of the current situation. There are already many pioneering NGOs in Taiwan spending lots of effort on solving the problem. TOAF, as a newface in this field, intends to be humble and hopes that through the symposium, more and more people will work together
to contribute. Greater engagement and collaboration with Asia- Pacific countries are also needed in the future to stop
plastic from entering the ocean. We will continue to jointly protect the ocean beyond our own borders.
3During Session 6 - Panel Discussion

Snapshots of the Marine Debris Symposium in Taiwan

Marine Litter News 4

Marine Debris Symposium Agenda
May 20-21, 2017
NMMST, Taiwan

May 20 – Day 1
09:30-10:00

Registration

10:00-10:30

Opening Ceremony

10:30-12:00● Dr. Marcus Eriksen - 5 Gyres Institute

SESSION 01 Research on Marine Plastic Pollution and Government Policy● Dr. Julia Hsiang-Wen Huang - National Taiwan Ocean University

12:00-13:30

Lunch
SESSION 02 Research on Derelict Fishing Gears

13:30-15:00● Dr. Sun Wook Hong - Our Sea of East Asia Network● Dr. Chung-Ling Chen - National Cheng Kung University● Ms. Po-Hsiu Kuo - National Cheng Kung University

15:00-15:30

Coffee Break

15:30-17:00●Mr. Hiroshi Kaneko - Japan Environmental Action Network

SESSION 03 Practice and Participation of NPO/NGO on the Marine Debris Issue●Mr. Chieh-Shen Hu - The Society of Wilderness

May 21 – Day 2
09:30-10:00

Registration

10:00-11:30

SESSION 04 Circumstance and Challenge of Marine Debris Pollution: Domestic
Government Perspectives●Ms. Hsin-Chen Sung - Department of Water Quality Protection, EPA●Mr. Kuo-Su Chiu - Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic SubstanceManagement, EPA●Mr. Wei-Sung Shieh - Kinmen National Park
●Dr. Zhen-Han Tsai - National Taiwan Ocean University

11:30-13:00

Lunch

13:00-14:30●Ms. Li-Shu Chen - National Museum of Marine Science and Technology

SESSION 05 Education Plans on Marine Debris●Mr. Patrick Yeung - WWF Hong Kong

14:30-15:00

Coffee BreakSESSION 06 Panel Discussion●Dr. Marcus Eriksen - 5 Gyres Institute15:00-16:45●Mr. Hiroshi Kaneko - Japan Environmental Action Network●Dr. Sun Wook Hong - Our Sea of East Asia Network●Ms. Hsin-Chen Sung - Department of Water Quality Protection, EPA●Mr. Chieh-Shen Hu - The Society of Wilderness●Dr. Kwang-Tsao Shao - Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica

16:45-17:00

Closing Ceremony

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ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 6-7, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Successful story of reducing weather balloon
release and its impact in Australia
Heidi Taylor
Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Australian Marine Debris Initiative
heidi@tangaroablue.org

Operating for over 13 years, Tangaroa Blue Foundation (TBF) has created the largest and longest running marine debris
database in Australia. Each item of rubbish collected during clean-ups has been categorised and entered into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database. This data is irrefutable evidence, and has been used to inform initiatives such assource reduction plans and management and policy decisions on local, regional, state and national levels.
In 2011, TBF identified weather balloon targets and components during beach clean-ups in Queensland, Australia (seephoto 1). TBF then attempted to consult with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology about the release of these weather
balloons, and its harmful impacts on the environment. After conversations did not bear any fruit, we decided to partnerwith colleagues at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville to see if we could create a case.
The study in 2012 predicted and quantified the impact of weather balloons released by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GRBWHA). Modelling by JCU assessed the probability ofocean endpoints for released weather balloons and predicted pathways post-release. In addition, 21 months of data frombeach clean-up events was used to validate our results and assess the abundance and frequency of weather balloon
fragments in the GBRWHA. The article Predictable Pollution: An assessment of weather balloons and associated impacts
on the marine environment was published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin in 2014.
We found between 65% and 70% of balloons land in the ocean, and ocean currents largely determine final endpoints.
Beach clean-up data revealed 2460 weather balloon fragments were recovered from 24 sites within the GBRWHA. Up
to 100 weather balloons were released into the environment daily from BoM offices around Australia, 68 adjacent to thecoast. Each helium balloon had a polystyrene target with a silver lining, and if released at night a torch with AA batteries.
Once the balloon reaches a certain height it bursts, and all the components fall back to earth, often ending up in theocean.

Marine Litter News 6

Since publication, we are pleased to announce that the BoM has now discontinued releasing weather balloons from anumber of locations and plan to reduce it further in future. The BoM has also replaced the polystyrene targets with cardboard ones, further reducing the environmental impact, see article: http://www.tangaroablue.org/amdi/campaigns/60bom-weather-balloons/779-no-more-polystyrene-for-bom-s-weather-balloons.html
These efforts can be seen clearly in the data too, a drastic decline in weather balloon components has been found allover the GBRWHA, including our regular monitoring sites such as Cape Kimberley (Figure 1). Tangaroa Blue Foundationis pleased to have new engagement with the BoM, and to continue collaborating in the future.

Figure 1. Photos of weather balloon targets and components

Cape Kimberley Data 2011-2017

Number of weather ballon target
components

1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Year
Figure 2. Temporal trend of the number of weather balloon targets and components in Cape Kimberley, Australia

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ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 8-10, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

The polystyrene issue in the Ha Long-Cat Ba coastal area ofVietnam – More effort and cooperation needed
Tran Thi Hoa,
Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub)
hoa.tran@greenhub.org.vn

Only 10% of all waste generated in Vietnam are recovered for recycling or reuse (Ministry of Resources and Environment).
Some reasons for this include the lack of treatment facilities, lack of community participation in waste management andrecycling practices, poor coordination between collection, transportation and treatment, and a lack of regulations andenforcement (Pariatamby and Tanaka (eds.), 2014). Plastic marine debris, and specifically polystyrene, cause significant
environmental issues, including injuring and killing sea-life, as well as public health concerns from the accumulation of
persistent organic compounds in the food chain (Moore, 2013).
Vietnam has participated in international coastal cleanups (ICC) annually since 2003, especially driven by enthusiastic
Vietnamese youth. In 2016 and 2017 results indicated around 50-70% of marine debris were polystyrene plastic, with theremainder being both recyclable and non-recyclable materials.
So far, GreenHub, IUCN and partners have organized three coastal clean-ups in the Ha Long beach with the enthusiastic
participation of more than 300 volunteers. 4 tons of trash got collected from 3.9 km of beach.
After the first coastal clean-up, the Ha Long City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 349/TB-UBND banning theuse of polystyrene in floating structures of Ha Long Bay.
“The Decision has been strictly enforced by the local authorities of Ha Long City. Currently, there are 55 floating structuresin Ha Long Bay. Since the promulgation, 50% of individuals/households providing aquaculture and tourism services have
replaced polystyrenes with sustainable materials. 3,520 out of 4,141 buoyancies have used composite barrels instead of
styrofoam. This shows the strong commitment of the Ha Long City People’s Committee,” said Pham Dinh Huynh, Deputy
Director of Ha Long Bay Management Board.

Marine Litter News 8

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Jun 2016 in VungHaJan 2017 in VungHaAug 2017 in Ang
Ha■Nhựa xốp/(Polystyrens)

44%

66%

80%

■Nhựa cứng

3%

2%

5%

■Chai nhựa R/Beverage

5%

12%

3%

■Túi nhựa (ni-lông)/Grocery

4%

4%

3%

■Dây thừng/Rope

2%

1%

3%

(Hard plastic/mảnh; piece)
Bottles(Plastic)
Bags (Plastic)(1 yard/meter = 1 piece)

Figure 1. Details of trash components

However, action by Quang Ninh alone can not solve the problem. There is no boundary for polystyrene between Hai
Phong and Quang Ninh. While Quang Ninh has acted to control polystyrene, floating farms in Lan Ha Bay continue to
use polystyrene for buoyancy.
In Cat Ba, Polystyrene accounts for more than 50% of all garbage, tainting its World Biosphere reserve icon. As known,
the main income of households living in those farms comes from fish and mollusk culture. A combination of polystyrene
and plastic drums are used within the farms for floatation (IUCN, 2016). Statistic report of Cat Ba Bay Management Board
shows that in February 2016, there were 486 floating farms with more than 8,600 cages and 463 orchids mainly in Lan
Ha Bay, Ben Beo, Cat Ba, Gia Luan and Tra Bau Bay in the Cat Ba Archipelago. Polystyrene is known as a material formaking floats used in fishing boats in Cat Ba. Floats made of this material are low cost and are very popular for use by
residents here. However, this is also a serious environmental pollutant and affects human health as well as marine life,
because of the toxic components produced in it. Also, polystyrene in the environment can damage the aesthetics of thearea since the foam from polystyrene drums are released into the environment and will blight the beauty of the bays aswell as create a bad impression to tourists.

9

Cat Hai District People’s Committee has a plan to reduce the number of floating farms to 150 by 2020 and ensure thatthese farms meet certain environmental standards before being allowed to operate. It is vital that Hai Phong, like Quang
Ninh, bans the use of polystyrene in flotation devices. At the same time, more effort should be made to raise awarenessfrom fishing communities and to start replacing polystyrene with more environmentally friendly materials.

Figure 2. The third clean-up in August, 2017 in Ha Long

Marine Litter News 10

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 11-13, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Observations from Craft Recycling Villages

Eric DesRoberts
Mamager of Trash Free Seas® Program, Ocean Conservancy
edesroberts@oceanconservancy.org

The growing threat of trash entering our ocean is a global problem, but this is truly an instance where thinking globally andacting locally applies. Scientists have estimated that about 8 million metric tons of plastic are entering the ocean every
year and about 80% of this starts on land (Jenna R. Jambeck 2015). Left unabated, this translates to an ocean with 1
ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish by 2025! These same scientists also found that the majority of this plastic currently
comes from inadequate waste management - either trash that is never collected and spills directly into the environment,
or trash that is collected but escapes because it’s not properly handled. Moreover, countries experiencing rapid economic growth may not have a waste infrastructure to keep pace with increased household consumption. This mismatch
has led to large amounts of plastic waste entering our ocean.
I was fortunate to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam recently to better understand some of the challenges and realities in the waste
management system on the ground, particularly in rural areas. It’s true that the plastic waste challenges are substantial,
but we also found hard working entrepreneurs who have created recycling systems, members of national and local government working to address waste management challenges, and dedicated non-governmental organizations working
with communities to help solve these issues. We visited several villages and met business owners on the outskirts ofHanoi who were responsible for the various links of the value-chain required to effectively process recyclable materials.
Although there is a formal waste collection system in these places (primarily servicing the urban and some peri-urban
areas), the materials seemed to flow through an informal series of waste pickers, middlemen and aggregators that helptransport and generate significant volumes of material to small cottage industries in plastic recycling villages that specialize in recycling various materials, products, and packaging formats.

11

Figure 1. Bales of material collected from pickers in Hanoi and transported to business owners that can process them.

Many of the business owners that we spoke with have family operated facilities and employed fewer than 10 people.
Each business was very specialized in a specific step in the recycling process and well connected with other family business owners up and down the value-chain, which in some instances was a neighbor or nearby facility. The collection
and recycling of the materials they process–whether that is nylon bags or beverage bottles or industrial film–can be quite
comprehensive, and provides an income to many families. However, in many instances, the safety and environmental
conditions in these small businesses create issues for the workers and communities as a whole.

Marine Litter News 12

Figure 2. A worker separating bales of mixed materials. For this facility,
sorting was being done by material color and not necessarily material type.

In the villages we visited, the process of sorting, separating and processing the materials in many instances is very labor
intensive and much of it is done by hand. As a result, the effectiveness of such processing practices is relatively high as
each piece of material entering the recycling stream is being handled, but the efficiency in which it is being done could
be improved to help facilitate the processing of more material in safer working conditions. Many of the facilities that wevisited had stock piles of material that would take weeks, if not longer, to process. The equipment used is often outdated,with limited safety or environmental protections, leading to lower quality end products and significant environmental andhealth impacts. Local governments and the communities are aware of these challenges but are also balancing the needto create and maintain jobs as priority in many of these communities. The efforts observed in the areas we visited surrounding Hanoi demonstrate local solutions to address waste and marine debris, but also an enormous lack of resources
and capacity to do so in a way that is safe and efficient. Speaking with local NGOs and government officials, we knowthat the challenges become even more visible the further outside of the city that you get, where formal (city contracted)
waste collection stops and waste is often openly burned or dumped. The desire for change is strong–what is needed
are resources and additional technical support. We believe there are ways organizations like Ocean Conservancy canhelp, and we are looking forward to continuing to understand the challenges facing the communities and working withpartners on the ground to leverage opportunities to strengthen waste management practices and eliminate the threat ofland-based marine debris.

13

ACTIVITIESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 14-19, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

A Brief Introduction of Plastic Marine Debris in China

Yonglong Liu
President of Shanghi Rendu Oceanliuyonglong@renduocean.org

1. Current situation of plastic marine debris
In general, the amount of marine debris is continually rising. According to research overseas, about 1 million tons oftrash enters the sea. Many sampling surveys show that the problem is getting worse in terms of both number and weight.
Over 80% of marine debris consists of marine plastics, which means that the general conclusions and solutions
regarding marine debris can also be applied to plastics. Marine litter can be divided into three categories in terms of
its space distribution: debris floating on the ocean surface, debris washed up on coasts and debris which has sunk onto
the ocean floor. The floating litter consists of polystyrene snack boxes, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic tableware, fishing line and nets, buoys, and pieces of wood; litter on beach includes cigarettes, plastic bags, plastic ropes, polystyrene
or plastic snack boxes, fishing gear, cans, and bottles; ocean floor debris includes plastic bags, pieces of plastic, cans,bottles and fishing nets. Take floating litter as an example, according to the monitoring data in 2016-2017, the top 3 litter
were plastics, polystyrene and wooden pieces. The wooden pieces accounted for the smallest percentage and its variation in amount remained constant in recent years, while the other two take up a much greater percentage and showedlarge differences before and after 2011. Before 2011, the plastics took up a higher percentage, reaching its maximum in2010 of 54% of all debris; while the amount of polystyrene greatly increased after 2011, about 57% of all debris in 2012.
Beach debris has a relatively high density and experiences a lot of variability. According to statistical analysis from2007 to 2016, its quantity density stayed at a magnitude of 104 piece/km2. Floating litter ranked second, with a magnitudeof 103 piece/km2. The seafloor debris had the lowest quantity density, at a magnitude of 102 piece/km2. What’s more,
small pieces of litter accounted for the majority of floating litter, over 96%. In terms of the long-term trend, the density oflitter on beaches varied the most, we could see an obvious rise from 2008 to 2012 and then a slight dip between 2013
and 2014. By contrast, the quantity density of floating and seafloor litter stayed at a consistent level with little fluctuation
in weight density.

Marine Litter News 14

By analyzing the data from Coastal Cleanup and Monitoring Project in China (CCMC), we find that marine litter experiences seasonal variation, with a peak in May. The amount found in January, March and July differed very slightly. Withan increase in September and a slight decline in November. The amount of the most common type of debris, packaging and hygiene-related, reached its maximum in May and remained relatively stable for the other periods. While debris
smaller than 2.5cm and other kinds of debris showed the opposite, with its minimum in May and maximum in November,with a dramatic increase from September to November. The amount of packaged-related litter varied dramatically in thewhole year, with its peak in May and nadir in March. Packaging related debris experience the most fluctuations during theyear, with its peak in May.
Over 80% of plastic litter was generated by onshore human activities, which corresponds to the result of most global
marine litter source analysis. Another 10% are the result of fishing activity such as ghost nets. The remaining 10% comesfrom recreational marine activities. However, this ratio of marine litter is not definite, as it varies based on many other local
factors.
The findings of CCMC concludes that coastal debris is positively correlated to population and GDP. The correlation
between the average number of beach garbage and the population in cities is r=0.608, p=0.047, which indicates that the
average number of beach garbage in the cities is moderately positively related to the population. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient between the average number of beach garbage and GDP in cities is r=0.626 and p=0.039, indicating thatthey are also moderately positively correlated.
At present, areas with a high density of marine waste in China are mainly found in tourist and recreational sites, areas
for aquaculture, ports, shipping lanes, as well as the surrounding local areas. Generally, most of the marine waste intourism and recreational areas are plastic bags, plastic bottles, and other domestic waste. Whilst in areas with agriculture
and aquaculture there are more domestic plastics and polystyrene.

2. Harmful Effects of Plastic Marine Debris
As for the harmful effects of marine debris, especially of plastic marine debris, currently there are several observations asfollows.
1. The main harmful effects of marine debris on oceans is the damaging of marine ecosystems, the continuous
threat to individual species may cause the deterioration of certain parts of the ecosystem.
1) In terms of threat to marine species, it is reported that about 268-800 marine species worldwide have been affectedby marine litters. Marine mammals like whales were stifled by the ropes and ghost nets; marine invertebrates like corals
perish due to the wide deposition of marine litter on the seabed; seabirds, turtles and fishes are harmed due to ingestionof plastics and the subsequent effects of poisoning from toxins; marine life is poisoned by the organic toxins which havebeen continuously accumulated through the food chain.
2) Long-term effects will include ecosystem breakdowns and marine desertification. The existence of large-area marine
garbage patches inhibits photosynthetic effects of phytoplankton and prevents some marine animals such as zooplankton from consuming prey at the ocean surface. Plastic marine debris also acts as a carrier of exotic species for longdistances. Marine debris also affects the activity of animals living in intertidal zones and limits the effectiveness of naturalprocesses.
2. Marine debris can cause huge economic losses to coastal countries and regions, even to inland countries. Tourism, shipping industry, fisheries and other relevant industries are directly affected. The cleaning of marine litters may
15

also incur large additional costs. The huge amount of plastic rubbish scattered on beaches degrades local aesthetics,
is harmful to health, and reduces the number of tourists. Therefore, it severely affects the development of marine tourism
and decreases the income from the tourism sector. The substances which are leaked from the decomposition of marine
debris can directly harm fish and affect fishery stocks. Meanwhile some rubbish can get tangled with fishing boat paddles
and nets, which impedes the work of these fisheries. Plastic debris can become entangled with ship propulsion units andcause navigational accidents. Besides, large floating plastic pieces can collide with ships and block buoys, which canfurther impede the navigation of ships. Additionally, over-accumulated plastic debris on the seabed is very likely to form
shoals and further influence the safety of navigation. It is difficult and expensive to collect marine debris and thus theseresources cannot be recovered, which is another aspect of economic losses.
3. Toxic substances released from or adsorbed by plastic marine debris will damage human health ultimately throughbio-magnification along the food chain. Besides, the reduced seafood production can threaten human food security. Some marine litter will release toxins after being submerged for a certain time and will also adsorb persistent toxic
chemicals dissolved in ocean water. Small pieces of plastic marine debris are often ingested by zooplankton, seabirds
and fish by mistake. During digestion, the toxins seep into the organism’s muscles and eventually, these toxins will end up
on our plates and affect our health. The breakdown of marine ecosystems will badly influence human food security. It is
predicted that the ocean is going to provide more than 50% of our food in the future.

3. Observations and comments on China’s marine plastic waste from the international
community
The international community is highly interested in China’s marine plastic management, with high expectations. As
the fastest developing country, China’s marine plastic management is of global significance. Whether if it’s research into
the origins of marine plastics, or methods of dealing with marine plastics, all draw major international response.
The international community generally accepts that China is the greatest contributor to marine plastics. A paper published in February of 2015 by James Baker et al is one of the most authoritative studies on marine debris in recent years.
This paper looked at marine plastics which were produced in 2010, and deduced that from the 192 coastal countries andregions around the world, between 4.8 million and 12.7 million tons of marine plastic were produced, of which 1.32 million
to 3.53 million tons were from China, ranking as the number one producer of marine plastics. Organizations in Europe andthe US concerned with marine debris, such as the global study conducted for Race for Water, have successively cometo China to carry out marine debris related exchange programs and studies and publish relevant reports.
Japan, South Korea and other neighbouring countries see China as the main contributor to marine debris in theirmarine environment. In 2011, Japan demanded rubbish disposal fees from South Korea after finding marine debris
which originated from South Korea, while South Korea claimed that the rubbish originated from China. Since then, Japanand South Korea set up government financial support for NGOs to monitor marine debris, strengthening research into
marine debris. In 2013, a study using barcodes to identify the producers of beach debris found that roughly 50-75% ofmarine debris in the prefecture of Okinawa in Japan originated from China.

Marine Litter News 16

4. Research and countermeasures regarding marine plastic debris in China
Research on marine debris is focused on marine micro plastics and common marine plastics.
In the past 3 years, research into microplastics has become a hot focal point, with an established research community. The earliest experts in the research of marine micro-plastic were Li Daoji, a professor at the State Key Laboratory of
Estuarine and Coastal Research of East China Normal University, and Wang Juying, deputy director of the State Marine
Environmental Monitoring Center. In the monthly issue of American Scientific Monthly in 2015, an article published by Shi
Huahong, an associate professor at East China Normal University’s Estuarine and Coastal Research Institute, noted thatmicroplastics first garnered nation attention and concern after 15 brands of salt purchased in China’s supermarkets, contained microplastics including polyethylene, cellophane, and a variety of other plastic particles. In 2016, the State Oceanic
Administration (SOA) launched the monitoring of offshore micro-plastics in China. At present, based on studies of microplastics from the Marine Environmental Monitoring Center of Marine Rubbish and Plastics Research Center, and Ocean
University of East China Normal University Marine Plastic Research Center, the academic community has formed a groupof researchers that study microplastics who have organized seminars on the topic since 2016. Over 170 researchers from
Yantai Institute of Coastal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Rescue and Aquatic Environment, China Institute of Oceanography, China Oceanographic ResearchInstitute and China Oceanographic Research Institute have come together to form WeChat group “Microplastics go
online” which focuses on providing information on microplastics to the public.
Rendu Ocean and Eco Canton, as representatives of marine conservation NPOs, are developing partnerships withresearch institutions to tackle the issue of microplastics. The research requires laboratory environment and therefore,
NPOs must perform divisions of cooperation. Eco Canton, as a highly devoted institution, concentrates on the issues of
micro-plastics presented in cosmetics. They mainly strive to raise public awareness of the issue, persuade companies tostop using micro-plastics as raw materials, and explore explore potential methods of governance. Another field marine
conservation NPOs are actively participated in is assisting research institutions with field sampling. Currently, Rendu
Ocean has cooperated with the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, and are in collaboration talks with three additional institutions: the Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences.
The Coastal Cleanup and Monitoring Project in China (CCMC), operated by Rendu Ocean, is a platform for marine
conservation NPOs to take part in marine debris research. Rendu Ocean has initiated various effective projects, including three periods of ocean litter monitoring of 17 stations in 14 coastal cities during 2015, 2016, and 2017. Fourteen
environmental organizations are in charge, and volunteers are called on to conduct the cleanup and monitoring at the endof each odd month, investigating thoroughly in the categories of coastal litters and the composition ratio and conducting
data collection and correlation analysis, which provides more detailed and updated data for general studies of ocean
plastics litter in China. China Marine Environmental Monitoring has proposed SOA to bring monitoring network into ocean
litter monitoring system and consider taking further responsibility on ocean litter monitoring work.
The combination of The Offshore Litter Monitoring Report written by SOA and the program of CCMC by Rendu
Ocean delineates a more thorough description of the current situation of marine debris. It could be seen from the China Marine Environmental Quality Bulletin published since 1997 that the index of ocean litter in offshore area was included
as a common monitoring criteria only after 2017. The monitoring work is organized by China Marine Environmental Moni17

toring and the responsibility is redistributed to ocean monitoring stations across the country. The monitoring work is held
annually from June to September, and the data collected generally provide an insight for peaks and dips in the amount ofmarine debris, which could be used for comparison and analysis across years. The monitoring by CCMC could provide
more detailed data including seasonal fluctuations and regional differentiation of marine debris.
Facing with marine litter problems, the government and the public have all made concerted effort. There are two greatcases where the government has taken initiative in combatting the issue of marine debris. The first case involved Xiamen
and Weihai taking part in the “Sino-US Sister City initiative for the prevention and control of marine debris”, the secondcase is Guangdong’s provincial government launching programs to tackle the issue marine debris after large amountsof litter from Guangdong Province appeared around the waters of Hong Kong. The first coastal cleanup organized by a
NPO happened in Qingdao, in 2004. Similar activities were held nationwide in the following years. However, most of themwere small scale and geographically dispersed. Rendu Ocean has organized volunteering activities responding to the callof International Coastal Cleanup Day and World Environmental Day and has organized the public to participate in coastal
cleanups since 2015. In 2017, forty organizations from twenty-one coastal cities called upon a total of 4905 volunteers,
who cleaned up 12.152 tons of litter along 60.31 kilometers of coastline. In addition, the national wide coastal cleanup istrying to normalize coastal cleanup activities and mobilize both enterprises and the public to devote to routine cleanup
activities. Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries, as representatives of the marine departments from various regions, have given substantial attention and support for these cleanup activities.

5. Thoughts on the management of marine plastic debris
The problems caused by plastics and the rate of litter decomposition should be taken into consideration when it
comes to dealing with marine litter.
The fundamental prerequisite of tackling environmental issues is the participation and collaboration of all humankind. International cooperation should be established among countries, whilst governments, enterprises, environmental
NPOs and NGOs, research institutions, the media, and the public should all be involved to make a difference domestically. Unfortunately, in reality, most individuals rely solving environmental issues only on the government, and even worse,governors and researchers hold the same belief, which makes the treatment of marine litter even harder.
The government should control the production of plastic litter from the root through legislation, which is the most effective and powerful action to take currently. Four policies are impending to be set or revised. First, to raise the costs of raw
materials for making plastics such as petroleum to promote recycling and increase usage efficiency. Secondly, to assign responsibility to plastic producers and force them to construct the recycling system. This policy makes the primary
producers the most responsible party in charge of treating plastic litter and puts public management second. Thirdly,
to encourage research and application of recycling plastics through providing innovation funds and preferential tax, etc,
increasing the market value of plastics as a recycling material. Fourth, to forbid the production and consumption of disposable products, assigning it to the producers as extended product responsibility and supporting the environmental
nonprofit litigation. The rising costs of plastics production would increase the prices of plastics and further reduce theusage of plastic products and enhance recycling processes by changing the behavior of customers, who are sensitive tomarket prices. This is a potentially possible way to reduce plastic litter at its source.

Marine Litter News 18

The government must actively support the establishment of recycling system across counties and cities, invest in
garbage classification in communities, and build up management system of collecting, storing, and classifying litter
across rural areas to provide basic infrastructure of plastic litter management for the whole society. The enthusiasm
for managing litter and participating in litter classification would be maintained by well-established recycling channels.
The government, on the other hand, should provide substantial base support for litter management within communities,
and fund public education and community services offered by environmental institutions. Also, the extended productresponsibility could be a supporting force. On the other hand, the government must set up litter collection, storage, andclassification management system to provide basic condition for public litter management, which is the most urgent action that needs to be implemented. The chance for plastics products to become plastics waste and uncontrolled litter
would significantly reduce as soon as the public become aware of litter recycling, classification, and management, which
is a potentially practical way to end plastic litter at the source.
To reduce mismanaged waste, governments need to strengthen street cleanup, intercept waste in waterways, andencourage volunteers to participate in cleanups. Small amounts of mismanaged plastics may still appear on streets,
thus environmental sanitation workers and cleanup volunteers should be the third line of defense; some other plastics
may enter waterways, therefore local government should play a role as the fourth line of defense, inputting resources tointercept waste, volunteers may be involved in coastal cleanups, and it is feasible to subsidize fishermen to retrieve floating
waste; currently, the only feasible and economical way of cleaning up plastic debris that has entered oceans are coastal
and near-shore cleanups. Marine conservation NPOs may take on this responsibility and tackle this issue.
20% of marine plastic debris comes directly from marine activities, to reduce this kind of plastic debris, every stateshould strictly execute international laws and legislations, as well as encourage environmental protection NPOs tosupervise the implementation. This 20% of marine plastics is an independent issue. At present, international covenants
and national laws already prohibits the dumping of trash into the sea, and set standard management processes, therefore
the key factor of erasing ocean-sourced plastic is implementation. It seems to be feasible that marine conservation NPOs
are involved in supervising management through information disclosure.
Monitoring of marine debris (including all mismanaged waste) is the foundation of effective management. It provides
complete and exact information, and should be given priority for development. This is what Rendu Ocean, China Zero
Waste Alliance and many other NPOs concerning topic of waste are currently engaged in.
Rendu Ocean
Nov. 24, 201719

ACTIVITIES

Vol. 8(2): 20-21, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

The role of civil society in environmental protection andclimate change response
Sunwook Hong, Ph.D.
President of Our Sea of East Asia Network
oceanook@gmail.com

The forum in the name of ‘The role of civil society for environmental protection and climate change response’ was heldin Gwangju, Korea in commemoration of the Climate Change and Paris Climate Change Conference. The forum washosted by the Asia Culture Center and the Embassy of France in Korea on November 10, 2017. The event aimed to contribute towards ‘The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23)’ held in Bonn, Germany from
November 6 to November 17, 2017, and the ‘Paris Climate Change Conference’ held in Paris on December 12, 2017.
Stakeholders from civil society, industries, and the government from France and Korea gathered together to present
and exchange their ideas regarding sustainable transportation, improvement for air pollution, and marine environment
conservation.
The specific title on the third day was marine environment conservation and response against marine pollution by plastic
debris. Sunwook Hong, the president of OSEAN, which is a non-governmental organization and research institute specialized in marine debris issues, introduced its activities and researches. She presented research results for main sourcesof marine debris in Korea and international cooperation hosted by OSEAN to cope with marine debris issues in the Asia
region , which is pointed out as the hot spot of marine debris sources. She said that OSEAN’s activities have been basedon scientific researches and sources and led to positive results such as the reduction in coastal marine debris. OSEAN
is now sharing its experiences with other NGO’s in the Asian region through webinar and hosting monthly internationalseminars with research papers. It has issued newsletter every month for many years to spread and encourage similar
activities and drew much attention to marine debris from various groups. Anne-Laure PATY who is the president of Zero
Waste France introduced citizen activities to reduce plastic debris. Patrick Fabre, who is co-president of Sea Cleaners,
talked about his dream to create a vessel to collect buoyant marine debris. Mingyu, Park from the Busan branch of Badasaligi introduced the activities of his organization towards reducing marine debris.
Marine debris issues have been one of the main topics in G7 and G20 and the member states should establish an implementation plan and work towards a satisfying result. Intensive efforts over a long amount of time are required to solve
this issue, and the recognition of the role that civil society plays is more important than ever. The forum was a meeting topromise future efforts and practices to cope with global environmental issues.

Marine Litter News 20

Figure 1. Round forum related to Saraceno’s ‘Our interplanetary bodies’

Figure 2. Aerocene moving without fossil fuelFigure 3. Thomas Saraceno: Our interplanetary bodies
21

ACTIVITIES

Vol. 8(2): 22-25, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

The first experience in Taiwan to join the world’s
largest marine pollution survey
Chun Chi Wu
Coordinator of survey project, Society of Wilderness
christopher1426@gmail.com

What is the survey project?
The biologist will say, “The life started from ocean to land,” and this process took billions of year. However, there is one
converse process within just near tens of year, which is from land to ocean, and the main cast become the pieces ofplastic. People ask how and where the pieces comes from, when they are aware of that marine debris is an issue need
to be addressed. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia investigated in thelocal environment and found that the marine debris is mostly disposed locally and come through three mechanisms; thetourist on the beach, stormwater and coastal run-off in surrounding area, and the transportation from marine system (Willis et al., 2017). However, we cannot certain it is the same around the world without further investigation, and we would
like to know if the result can answer the situation in Taiwan. To figure out the answer, we Society of Wilderness (SOW) in
Taiwan cooperated with CSIRO and execute the survey project in November 2017.

Where does the survey occur?
We chose the biggest river basin in Taiwan as our target, Kao-ping river, which cover 3,257 km2 and 23 towns and cities. The main city is Kaohsiung, which is the second large city and the biggest industrial city in Taiwan. Twelve SOW
volunteers from around the country are recruited to join the field survey, and they are experienced in International Coastal
Cleanup (ICC) and passionate in the solution for marine debris issue. In two weeks, we carried out an investigation with
286 transect surveys at 95 sites on land, river, and coast, and 36 trawls at 12 sties on sea surface in the estuary of Kaoping river (see Figure 1). After the field survey, CSIRO will analyse the data we collected and figure out the situation in
Taiwan.

What are the practical challenges during survey?
Unlike the ICC event participant, the transect survey need executor to have more scientific knowledge background, so thesurveyors were trained by the CSIRO in the beginning 3 days of investigation period and capable to follow the standard
procedure of field survey to collect the data and information for further analysis (see Figure 2). There are several practicaldifficulties and challenges we faced, and we did debriefing for the similar field survey in the future. First of all, the geoMarine Litter News 22

graphical condition is one key factor to affect the efficiency of traffic transportation. Taking the condition of inland sites as
an example: since Kao-pin river has four tributaries, and each tributary is isolated from each others by mountains withoutroad connection, we did spend effort to coordinate the field traffic. Although twelve volunteers and two SOW staffs wereinvolved in two weeks, but not all surveyors can fully be on duty everyday, so we divided the surveyors into small groups
with 3 to 4 people daily and distributed the groups in different areas to maximum the efficiency of traffic transportation.
The surveyors need to sleep overnight outside if they need to go further on the next day. Also, the requirement of local
driver is recommended, especially when the road condition is uncertain due to recently weather or events.
For the condition of river sites, in Taiwan the water yield differs from summer and winter season; the river has only few ofwater in winter, which is dry season in Kaohsiung. In the downstream lots of the exposed rive bank is soft mud (see Figure3), which makes it hard to do the transect line from the water to the top of bank (see Figure 4). The proper rain boots aresuggested to equip for this type of river bank. There are also lots of artificial boulder river bank in the downstream, which
need time to find the access point on sites, so the scouting in advance is highly suggested as well. As for the coastal site
condition, there is lots of artificial offshore breakwaters along with the coastal line of Kaohsiung city (Figure 5), which may
affect the transportation of marine system mechanism. So we could only find a nearest spot without offshore breakwaters when the sampling site occurs the situation, when we cannot certain its influence on the marine system mechanism.

What is the next step?
The marine debris become one of the recognisable environmental issue in Taiwan in recent years, and more and more
people devoted themselves to the related public campaign, political lobby, environmental education, and scientific research. SOW is founded for 22 years and has 11 chapters and many volunteers around the country, which is a goodbasis to execute a wide range of field survey and local education. We expect there are more and more scientific researchto support the public campaign, political lobby, and environmental education.
Citation:
Willis, K. et al. Differentiating littering, urban runoff and marine transport as sources of marine debris in coastal and estuarine environments. Sci. Rep. 7, 44479; doi: 10.1038/srep44479 (2017).

23

Figure 1. The Google map of survey sites around Kao-ping river basin. The orange refers to sea surface trawl, the blue refers to the coastal sites, the yellow
color refers to river sites, and the green refers to inland sites.

Figure 2. The group photo after 3 days training for the surveyors.

Marine Litter News 24

7%
9%

25%

24%

5%

5%

1%

■Boulders■Cement■Cobble■Mangrove■Mud■Pebble / Graval■Sand■Vegetated24%

Figure 3. The bank type of river we investigated.

Figure 4. The transect pictures at the river sites, (A) is mud bank, and (B) is artificial boulder bank.

Figure 5. The satellite picture of offshore beakwaters along with Kaohsiung city.
25

ACTIVITIES

Vol. 8(2): 26-28, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Addressing Styrofoam buoy marine debris pollution
with stakeholders’ participation
Jongmyoung Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Our Sea of East Asia Network
sachfem@nate.com

Styrofoam buoy is the most abundant marine debris item in the coastal areas of South Korea. According to the annual
reports of the Korea National Marine Debris Monitoring Program, Styrofoam buoy was the most abundant item since
the beginning of the program in 2008. It has accounted for over 10% of marine debris in number. Styrofoam buoy can
become easily detached and drift away or end up on beaches. Styrofoam buoys are mainly used in the oyster and laveraquaculture farms in Korea. For hanging oyster, about 1,000 of 60-litter Styrofoam buoys are used per 1 ha. For laverabout 500 buoys per ha are used. So it is assumed that oyster aquaculture is the main source of Styrofoam buoy debris in
Korea. Styrofoam buoy enters into the surrounding oceans via various ways. It is detached from the line of oyster or laverwhen serious winds or waves occur. Vessels passing the farm inadvertently break farm lines that Styrofoam are hanging
to. Poor maintenance by farmers is one of the main reasons behind buoy debris. They discard buoys into the ocean foreasy harvesting. Once the buoys enter the ocean they are easily broken down into small particles and can’t be cleanedup. In this context, it is essential to address Styrofoam buoy debris in order to reduce marine debris in Korea.
OSEAN has been working towards addressing the Styrofoam debris problem since 2009 in many ways such as by hosting workshops in which stakeholders from several fields participated in, visiting Styrofoam industries, and inviting Korean
Packaging Recycling Cooperative members to hear their opinions. OSEAN also tried its best to push the government to
set up a management plan against Styrofoam buoy with problem-solving strategies.
Through the workshop OSEAN created conceptual model and result chain to gain schema and details, as well as drawout strategies and steps to reduce Styrofoam buoy debris (Fig. 1). Finally, Korean government ordered OSEAN to implement the project ‘Establishment of an integrated management system for aquaculture Styrofoam buoy’. The project started in 2016 and will continue for two consecutive years. OSEAN is in charge of estimating the inflow of Styrofoam buoy
debris and the pilot project to retrieve them. For estimation, OSEAN conducted interviews and surveys with aquaculture

Marine Litter News 26

farmers and held several briefing sessions for them in 2016 (Fig. 2). The pilot project consisted of installing receptacle for
Styrofoam buoys that cannot be used any longer and retrieving them (Fig. 3). The results were successful and the effects
significant. The amount of buoys retrieved was huge and the farmers were actively involved in the project. The survey andretrieving project has continued for two more years. OSEAN hopes this project contributes toward reduinge Styrofoam
buoy debris and making the coast cleaner and safer in Korea.

Styrofoam buoy pollution in the coastal areas of South Korea
Styrofoam buoys

2008

2009

2010

2011

Rank (by count)

1

1

1

1

Ratio (%)

13.2

12.5

10.8

11.7

Source : Korea Marine Debris Monitoring Program (MOF, 2008; 2009; 2010; 2011)

Reducing
installation

Reduction ofbuoys in use

Durablebuoys

Increased
durability

Improving
maintenance

Reduction ofbuoys lose

Preventing
the conflicts

Reduction ofgear conflict

Education

Raisedawareness

Survey &research

Understanding
the inpact

Incentives for
retrieval

Increased
retrieval

Efficientcollection
methodEfficientcollection

SupportCleanups

Activated
Cleanups

Incentive
for recycle

Increasedrecycle needs

Reduction oflost buoys
Research &Monitoring

Degradationof habitats

Research &Monitoring

Reduction ofderelict buoys

Reduction ofamount of
Styrofoambuoy debris

Ingestion &entanglement
Chemicalpollution
Degradationof landscape

Increase ofcollected
buoys bycleanups

Key :Strategy

Marineecosystem
Human
healthEconomySocialvalue

Research &Monitoring

Intermediate
ResultTreat
Reduction
ResultTarget ofConcern

Figure 1. Result chain of Styrofoam buoy debris management.

27

Figure .2 Educating aquaculture farmers against Styrofoam buoy debris

Figure .3 Retrieving Styrofoam buoy debris

Marine Litter News 28

RESEARCHESMarine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 29-30, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

A paper titled ‘Characteristics of meso-sized
plastic marine debris on 20 beaches in Korea’
published on the Marine Pollution Bulletin
Jongmyoung Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Our Sea of East Asia Network
sachfem@nate.com

A paper title ‘Characteristics of meso-sized plastic marine debris on 20 beaches in Korea’ was published on
the Marine Pollution Bulletin. The paper elucidated the abundances, compositions, and distribution patterns of
meso-sized plastic marine debris on 20 beaches encompassing the Korean Peninsula. It was the result of theresearch that was conducted by OSEAN (Our Sea of East Asia Network) upon the request of KIOST (Korean
Institute of Ocean Science and Technology) in spring of 2016. In particular, the paper suggested that abundance of meso-sized plastic marine debris may largely differ based on the sampling spot within the beach.
In most research plastic marine debris were quantified with samples collected on high strandlines. However, inmost cases plastic marine debris tend to be concentrated on high strandlines and thus if the samples are collected only from the high strandlines, the result will represent the pollution level of only the heavily polluted areaof the beach and thereby overestimate the beach contamination. In this research, samples were collected frombackshores, middle lines, and water edges on the beach and the abundance in total was much lower than thatof the high strandlines only. The result showed that sample spots within the beach should be selected basedon the research purposes. If the research aims to determine the highest pollution level of the beach, the sample
should be collected from the high strandlines, whereas if it aims to find the average pollution status, the sample
should be collected from several spots to get representative samples.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.020

29

Marine Pollution Bulletin 123 (2017) 92–96

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Marine Pollution Bulletinjournal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Characteristics of meso-sized plastic marine debris on 20 beaches in Korea
Jongsu Leea, Jongmyoung Leea,⁎, Sunwook Honga, Sang Hee Hongb,c, Won Joon Shimb,c,Soeun Eob,cabc

Korea Marine Litter Institute, Our Sea of East Asia Network, Toyeong 53013, Republic of Korea
Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje 53201, Republic of Korea
Department of Marine Environmental Sciences, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea

ARTICLE I NFO

A B S T R A C T

Keywords:
Marine debris
Accumulation on beach
Mesoplastic
Microplastic
Pollution
Sampling area

We surveyed the abundance and accumulation patterns of mesoplastic marine debris (5–25 mm) on 20 beaches
in Korea. The mean abundance of it was 13.2 items/m2, and the mean weight was 1.5 g/m2. Hard plastic andStyrofoam were the dominant types. The proportions of hard plastic and Styrofoam were highly variable among
the beaches, each accounting for 0–100% of the total debris on a given beach with 32% and 48.5% (by number)on average, respectively. Relatively lower abundances of mesoplastic marine debris compared with our previous
studies were likely due by diﬀerences of the sampling areas within the beach. The samples of this research wereselected from backshore, middle line, and water edge whereas they were selected from high strandline andbackshore in our previous studies. It should be considered when discussing the level of mesoplastic marine
debris.

1. Introduction
Following the mass production and heavy use of plastics, the plastic
debris load in the environment has increased sharply (Thompson et al.,2009). Plastic products have economic beneﬁts due to the combinationof their low cost, versatility, durability, and high strength-to-weightratio. These beneﬁts are reﬂected in the exponential growth in plastic
production. Since 1964, plastic production has increased 20 fold,reaching 311 million tons in 2014, and is expected to double again in
20 years and almost quadruple by 2050 (Neufeld et al., 2016). However, once plastics reach the ocean, their properties can become disadvantageous. Due to their light weight and resistance to biodegradation, plastic marine debris remains in the ocean and can travel long
distances over long periods, causing major impacts on the marine
ecosystem, including entanglement and ingestion by wild animals(CBD, 2016; Derraik, 2002). In addition, plastic debris can act as atransport vector for organic pollutants and trace metals after adsorbing
these pollutants from surrounding waters (Ashton et al., 2010; Engler,
2012; Holmes et al., 2012). Moreover, organic chemicals, metals, andmetalloids, which are often added to plastics during manufacturing as
catalysts, plasticizers, antioxidants, ﬂame-retardants, and pigments(Nakashima et al., 2012), can pose threats to marine life (Carson, 2013;
Yorio et al., 2014; Al-Odaini et al., 2015; McIntosh et al., 2015; Janget al., 2016).
To address increasing concerns over plastic marine debris, it is⁎

crucial to understand its pollution status. Valuable information, such as
plastic type, abundance, size, and source, is necessary to enact eﬃcientmanagement strategies. Recent research focused on quantifying microplastic marine debris in the marine environment has found that it isubiquitous in the marine environment and that its abundance is increasing (Law and Thompson, 2014; Rochman et al., 2015; UNEP,
2016). Plastic marine debris is expected to persist in the environment
for a long time, decades, centuries, even thousands of years, dependingon the type of plastic and the international community has voiced theneed for an urgent response. In 2015, the United Nations set Sustainable
Development Goal 14 to prevent and signiﬁcantly reduce all marine
pollution by 2025, particularly that from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
In contrast to the recent surge in publications on microplastics,
there is little information on the distribution, abundance, and impactsof mesoplastics 5–25 mm in size. Macroplastic debris can be fragmented
into meso-sized plastic debris, which can then further break down into
micro- and nanoplastic debris. There is a knowledge gap in our understanding of the distribution and characteristics of mesoplastic debris
as well as the fragmentation and fate of macro- and mesoplastics.
Previously, we discussed the advantages of conducting surveys of mesosized marine debris. For example, it is easier to obtain information on
the type, shape, color, and origin of mesoplastics than microplastics(Lee et al., 2013; Lee et al., 2015). However, there is a lack of agreement on the deﬁnition of mesoplastics, although macroplastics are

Corresponding author.
E-mail address: sachfem@nate.com (J. Lee).

Marinehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.020
Litter News 30

Received 21 August 2017; Received in revised form 7 September 2017; Accepted 9 September 2017
Available online 14 September 20170025-326X/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WELCOME

Marine Litter News

Vol. 8(2): 31-32, December 2017
Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Executive Summary

MissionTo develop and implement effective, evidence-based practices that enables sustainable livelihoods, promotes
eco-friendly development and creates resilient communities.
Vision & Leadership
Vietnam is undergoing rapid change, with annual GDP growth averaging 5-6% annually for more than 10 years.
Fundamental changes are from a rural agricultural to an urban industrial economy, and from a centrally planned
to a market economy. These changes produce economic benefits but also increase environmental threats.
Green Hub was created to be an agent of change regarding environment issues.
GreenHub is a Vietnamese, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization under the Vietnam Union of Scienceand Technique Associations (Vusta) with oversight from the Ministry of Science & Technology. GreenHub was
established by under the leadership of three Vietnamese women experts committed in the fields of environmental management. GreenHub has gradually built up trust to be positioned as leaders in the field of evidencebased, sustainable economic and environmental practices and development.
GreenHub Impact Areas
1. Marine and Costal waste management
With over 30 million tons of waste is generated annually, Vietnam is among the top 5 largest contributors of plastic waste. Of all the waste generated in Vietnam, only 10% is recovered for recycling or reuse, including items
such as paper, metals, glass, rubber, and some plastics. Plastic marine waste causes US$ 13 billion worth ofdamage annually to communities, fisheries, maritime transportation, tourism industries in terms of health, economic, and environmental issues. As a result, GreenHub’s waste management efforts are centered aroundraising consumer awareness and influencing behavioral change to reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R’s) waste, marine debris monitoring and Coastal Clean-up Campaigns including volunteer activities to engage the community.

31

2. Energy efficiency
The global furniture industry is estimated to be a $460 Billion USD industry. With a target of $7.5 Billion USD
in exports of wood and wood products in 2017, Vietnam is among the top five exporters of wooden furniture.
Most of the furniture manufacturers in Vietnam are small businesses who suffer from limited capacity, insufficient skilled labor and inefficient manufacturing processes that produce too much waste. As demand for furniture continue to increase, wood waste will also increase. GreenHub’s efforts focuses on converting wooden
furniture and agricultural waste into an alternative, more efficient energy source.
3. Sustainable Agricultural Production and Livelihoods
Vietnam has made significant progress in its agricultural sector over the last 25 years. This growth has helped
Vietnam to emerge as a leading global exporter of agro-food commodities and puts Vietnam among the top
five exporters for aquatic products, rice, coffee, tea, cashews, black pepper, rubber, and cassava. However,high consumption of natural resources and high costs for production, has increased waste generation andinappropriate waste disposal, leading to significant environmental pollution. GreenHub promotes sustainableagricultural production and livelihoods by providing evidence-based practices, business development training
and support, and connecting farmers to cooperatives and to national technical expertise and resources.
4. Natural Resource Conservation
Vietnam, with GDP growth it produces strong economic benefits but it also creates significant environmental
challenges including but not limited to: deforestation, depletion of natural resources, and water, soil and air pollution in urban and rural areas. GreenHub recognizes the need to harmonize development and conservation inorder to create sustainable livelihoods and conserve the environment for future generations. In this area, GreenHub focuses on empowering local communities to engage in conservation and management of key biodiversity
areas such as the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve.

Join our cause and donate
Contact information
Planning and Investment Ministry Building, 10th floor, office 1008, 8b Ton That Thuyet, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: (+84 4) 629 26764
Email: info@greenhub.org.vn
Website: www.greenhub.org.vn
GreenHub Donors

GreenHub Partners

Marine Litter News 32

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
Greenhubmit - 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,33

ISSN 2287-8971

Marine Litter News
Volume 8 • Issue 2 • December 2017
© Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML)
The newsletter is biannually published by APML.

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

GreenhubPlanning and Investment Ministry Building, 10th floor, office 1008, 8b Ton That Thuyet, Hanoi, Vietnam
Web: www.greenhub.org.vn Email: info@greenhub.org.vn
TEL +84 4 629 26764