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Description
According to preliminary data on the Black Sea environmental status, marine waste consists of plastic, metal and rubber. This is supported by studies run within the EU funded RedMarLitter Project and MARLEN Project, which show that nearly 90% of the sea waste is plastic (polymers of anthropogenic origin). 90% of all litter collected from beaches also falls into the category "Artificial Polymeric Materials".
The project sought to reduce marine litter in the bay area of Burgas and to increase public awareness so that less plastic enters the sea. To bring people around that idea, 2 audio spots for radio advertisement for "launching the waste capture initiative" were prepared and distributed in two radio media and for delivery of floating waste collection devices distributed in two media, two Facebook posts were published and two marketing newsletters provided.
The municipality used special devices - PortBins - to collect floating objects from the surface of the sea, will engage professional divers to clean up marine debris and will involve 20 local fishermen community in a fishing-for-litter type of activities. 758 children from a local environmental club and volunteers performed coastal clean-up initiatives to promote the notion of keeping the shores clean and protecting the sea.
The main project outcomes were decreased marine waste and a shift in people''s attitudes towards plastic pollution.
Further information about the project can be found on the official website of the project: https://cleansea-burgas.com/.
Summary of project results
The main activities related to the implementation of initiatives and campaigns for reduction of marine waste caused by human resources in the Bay of Burgas and activities for raising awareness, knowledge and education of experts and students about the causes of pollution, consequences and ways of prevention. The issue thta the project aimed to address is the improveent of the ecological status of marine waters in the Bay of Burgas, to increase public awareness, self-awareness and responsibility of citizens for reduction and prevention measures of marine litter.
The project included educational and awareness - raising campaigns aiming the prevention and reduction of waste in the marine environment.
The project implemented 4 initiatives for marine pollution reduction: 1. Floating Waste Cleaning Initiative – the seawater in the Bay of Burgas, Kraimorie and Sarafovo was cleaned using special devices, mounted at three ports; 2. Cleaning Seabed Waste Initiative – in partnership with the “Friends of Sea” NGO, Burgas; 3. “Fishing for litter” initiative – a boat competition for the local fisheries community. The project achieved reduction of the amount of waste in the Bay of Burgas through initiatives for cleaning the marine environment as well as conducted educational and information campaigns aimed at prevention and reduction of waste in the marine environment.
Summary of bilateral results
The participation of the project partners were beneficitial due their previous experience and background in marine pollution prevention and the campains and educational initiatives they have conducted to achieve greater awareness among the society.