WHO WE ARE
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
RULES, REGULATIONS AND REPORTS
AMBIENTE E SUSTENTABILIDADE
PORT OF FUNCHAL
PORT OF CANIÇAL
ACTIVE
WHO WE ARE
SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY
RULES, REGULATIONS AND REPORTS
AMBIENTE E SUSTENTABILIDADE
PORT OF FUNCHAL
PORT OF CANIÇAL
ACTIVE
Project name: Oceanlit
Project value: 1 383 676,18 € (85% FEDER co-funding)
The Oceanlit project
Marine litter represents one of the biggest global environmental challenges, affecting all countries to a greater or lesser extent, regardless of the origin of the waste. It is an intersectoral problem with no geographical or political boundaries. Each year, it is estimated that between 6.4 and 8 million tonnes of marine litter are discarded in the oceans. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, marine litter includes any solid, durable, processed or manufactured material that is discarded or abandoned on the coast or in the sea. This waste is composed of a variety of materials, such as plastics, metals, glass, wood, rubber, fabrics, paper and also waste derived from fishing activities, originating from human actions and being transported to the marine environment by rivers, sewers, run-off or winds. Plastics account for 80% of this waste, causing significant damage to marine ecosystems.
The solution to the problem of marine litter is still a long way off, but there is an urgent need to tackle the challenges necessary to eradicate this impact on our seas and oceans.
Thus, aware of the need to tackle this global problem locally, the OCEANLIT project was created - Management of Natural Coastal Protected Areas in Oceanic Archipelagos Affected by Marine Litter, which was approved in the second call of the INTERREG MAC 2014-2020 Territorial Cooperation Programme and co-financed with FEDER funds.
Oceanlit brings together various stakeholders from the Macaronesia region, including entities from the Autonomous Region of Madeira such as APRAM, ARDITI, the Regional Directorate for Fisheries and the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Climate Change.
Objectives
Oceanlit's main objective is to reduce marine litter by promoting knowledge, improving the waste management system and raising awareness among users and the general public, favouring the conservation and recovery of coastal and marine protected natural areas in the ocean archipelagos, addressing this issue in the Macaronesia region, specifically in the archipelagos of the Azores, Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and Madeira, adopting a multidisciplinary approach and with the active participation of those involved.
The main areas of action include: i) research and understanding of the problem and its possible solutions, ii) waste management in the marine environment and iii) raising awareness and disseminating the problem, as well as actions to mitigate it, involving professionals in coastal and marine activities, as well as society in general.
