- Reduction of marine litter: let’s meet the targets
- Ship dismantling: yes to internationally balanced regulations
Reduction of marine litter: let's meet the targets
At the recent Berlin-Conference on Prevention and Management of Marine Litter, Dr Monica Verbeek, Executive Director at Seas At Risk, made a urgent plea for a 50% source based reduction of marine litter by 2020. She called for an end to the marine litter problem by 2035, and stated: ‘Weak targets will lead to weak action. Concrete and quantified targets are crucial for tracking progress, holding policy makers accountable, and to communicate with the general public.’ As chairman of Euroshore, I fully subscribe to this urgent address. EU Member States are required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to set targets for reducing marine litter. Most countries’ targets, however, lack ambition, and only a few countries have proposed quantifiable and measurable reduction targets. This will undermine the efficiency of the campaign against marine litter and the efforts of those countries that are truly committed to cleaning up our seas. Euroshore therefore pleads for a more ambitious Europe and urges its members to take the necessary measures to meet the 2035 target.
Ship dismantling: yes to internationally balanced regulations
On March 26 of this year, the Environment Committee of the European Parliament adopted a draft proposal for a new European ship recycling regulation, based on the IMO Hong Kong Convention on ship dismantling. As of yet, this Convention is not in force – due to a lack of ratifications of some of its Member States. Today, most ship dismantling happens in countries where beaching of ships is still common practice, and ecological proceedings, and socio-economic regulations still leave much to be desired for. Here, PCB’s, asbestos, tributyl paints, oily residues continue to have a detrimental impact on the marine environment and the workers employed in this business.
Therefore, Euroshore welcomes international binding measures for sustainable ship dismantling. And encourages every initiative – within and beyond European borders – that supports a professional and sustainable management and treatment of hazardous vessel generated waste.
Darren LAGUEA
President Euroshore