Draft Scottish Marine Litter Strategy Consultation

3. Strategic Directions and Actions

3.1 This section considers, in more detail, the five proposed objectives for a Scottish Marine Litter Strategy and seeks views on possible areas for action. It should be noted that the Marine Litter Strategy will incorporate activity and actions that already exist or are underway within the marine context.

• Strategic Direction 1: Improve public and business awareness of, and behaviour changes around, marine litter.

3.2 Research suggests that nearly 80% of marine litter originates from a terrestrial source. Meeting the challenge of addressing marine litter levels will depend on everyone playing their part by recognising and taking responsibility for their own actions.

3.3 There are currently a range of initiatives aimed at reducing marine litter, raising awareness of the problem or changing behaviour. Action under Strategic Direction 1 will be covered by the National Litter Strategy but link to marine activities.

Possible Actions:

• Education, raising awareness and public participation targeted campaigns.
  • focus on prevalent items of litter found on beaches.
• Encourage producers to change manufacturing design of products commonly found in the marine environment e.g. alternatives to plastic in cotton bud sticks.

Q7. What are your views on the possible actions?

Q8. Which do you believe is the most important possible action in helping to deliver the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q9. Can one or more of these possible actions be delivered under existing activities or do you think more action is needed under the Marine Litter Strategy?

• Strategic Direction 2: Reduction of land-sourced marine litter entering the marine environment, in parallel to the National Litter Strategy

3.4 Marine litter stems from two sources: land based sources and sea based sources and activities. The ability to identify a particular source from an individual litter item is difficult, and as such there needs to be an integrated approach to address marine litter and stop it at source.

Existing Actions:

• Co-ordination with Zero Waste Scotland activity.
• Improve enforcement of ship waste management plans and inspections of Garbage Record Books under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage and Sewage) Regulations 2008.
• Incorporation of waste management systems into the design of new vessels.
• Extend existing Port Waste Reception Facilities to include fishing vessels.
• No-special-fee reception facilities and compulsory discharging of marine litter in port for all vessels including fishing boats.
• Research into recycling and reuse facilities for fishing nets at ports.
• An anonymous system to report vessels illegally dumping waste at sea.
• Incorporation of environmental responsibilities into the education and training of ship owners, ship operators, crews, port users, fishermen and recreational boat users.
• Plastics industry code of conduct for the safe handling, packaging and transportation, by sea of plastic pellets.

Possible Actions:

• Expand Fishing for Litter initiative to significantly increase awareness and impact of, and contribute to a reduction in marine litter.
• Incorporate marine litter reduction into regional marine plans under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Q10. What are your views on the possible actions?

Q11. Which do you believe is the most important possible action in helping to deliver the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q12. Can one or more of these possible actions be delivered under existing activities or do you think more action is needed under the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q13. Do you think any of the existing actions need to be improved?

If so, please provide details.

• Strategic Direction 3: Contribute to a low carbon economy by treating 'waste as a resource' and seizing the economic and environmental opportunities associated with the zero waste plan

3.5 The Scottish Government's Zero Waste Plan and Low Carbon Economic Strategy for Scotland set the policy agenda for turning waste into a resource. A Scottish Marine Litter Strategy should align with this broader move towards resource and waste efficiency and recovery.

Existing Actions:

• Marine Scotland working with Zero Waste Scotland to produce waste as a resource toolkit targeted at coastal and maritime resource managers, and minimum standards for recycled materials.
• Encourage port and harbour reception facilities to drive separate collection.
• Deliver a project to establish free fishing net disposal at a network of fishing ports across Scotland, to include the infrastructure to recover and recycle the nets and other plastics recovered from fishing operations.
• Engage with the Low Carbon Economic Strategy for Scotland (March 2011) in particular building opportunities for resource efficiency (energy, water, waste materials) and sustainable business practices across the economy.

Possible Actions:

• Look for additional opportunities to incentivise recycling and correct disposal - market instruments to support waste as resource initiatives, e.g. Recycle and Reward pilot.
• Seek investment for environmental and clean technologies that facilitate recovery, recycling, and environmental monitoring in coastal and maritime industries.

Q14. What are your views on the possible actions?

Q15. Which do you believe is the most important possible action in helping to deliver the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q16. Can one or more of these possible actions be delivered under existing activities or do you think more action is needed under the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q17. Do you think any of the existing actions need to be improved?

If so, please provide details.

• Strategic Direction 4: Improvement of monitoring at a Scottish scale

3.6 It is widely recognised that the current evidence base for the levels of marine and coastal litter is limited, and the Strategy will seek to build on existing data capture and management measures so that we can help deliver appropriate and reliable data. This could help provide information on the types, quantities and distribution of marine litter, to provide an insight into the associated problems and threats and to increase public awareness of the condition of the coastline.

Existing Actions:

• Voluntary action through beach litter surveys using best practice techniques.
• Recording of litter retrieved on Marine Scotland Science vessels, and appropriate disposal.
• Monitoring programme for microscopic plastic particles.

Possible Actions:

• Alignment of Non-Governmental Organisations, Scottish, UK and international monitoring programs and data with UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy; Marine Environment Monitoring and Assessment National database; International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and OSPAR.
• Develop a baseline for coastal litter, seabed and water column, which can be used for Marine Strategy Framework Directive reporting purposes.
• Prioritise an initial evaluation on the current state of research to give a scientific and technical basis for monitoring, knowledge gaps and priority areas for research.
• Develop/test standardised monitoring approaches, to allow comparisons at the National and EU scales.
• Better Use of fisheries research vessels to undertake seabed monitoring of marine litter during scientific trawls.

Q18. What are your views on the possible actions?

Q19. Which do you believe is the most important possible action in helping to deliver the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q20. Can one or more of these possible actions be delivered under existing activities or do you think more action is needed under the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q21. Do you think any of the existing actions need to be improved?

If so, please provide details.

• Strategic Direction 5: Stakeholder engagement at the UK, EU, and international scales

3.7 Marine litter is a problem that cuts across a variety of scales and requires action from the international to local level. A Strategy should aim to influence actions within its direct sphere of control and more broadly at the UK, EU and international levels. A mix of devolved and reserved activities will need to be addressed and will require cooperation and integration of policy and management e.g. cooperation within the MSFD to ensure Good Environmental Status.

Existing Actions:

• Continue to participate in development of UK proposals for MSFD monitoring and implementation of measures and wider co-ordination with other countries.
• Continue to participate actively in OSPAR's work on marine litter and work with signatory countries to ensure the statutory enforcement of waste reduction measures under the OSPAR and International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ( MARPOL).

Possible Actions:

• National steering group on marine litter, led by Marine Scotland, to co-ordinate approach and share best practice amongst Scottish Government departments, directorates, agencies and Non-Governmental organisations including resource sharing and prioritising actions.
• Marine Scotland to more actively engage with, and share best practice with other competent authorities on a regular basis.
• Ensure that regional marine plans consider scope to reduce marine litter.

Q22. What are your views on the possible actions?

Q23. Which do you believe is the most important possible action in helping to deliver the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q24. Can one or more of these possible actions be delivered under existing activities or do you think more action is needed under the Marine Litter Strategy?

Q25. Do you think any of the existing actions need to be improved?

If so, please provide details.