Sotenäs municipality in western Sweden may be small in size but it’s having a big impact in the fight against marine plastic pollution. Their Marine Recycling Centre has taken a unique, whole system’s approach to the problem. We caught up with Pia Bergenholtz, Sustainability Strategist at Sotenäs municipality to find out more. Please could you … [continue reading]
Marine Litter: 250m Long Plastic Pipe Removed from the North Sea
Over the years some unusual pieces of rubbish have been recovered from the ocean by our Fishing for Litter project. Last week the research vessel, Sanco Scorpio, made their own interesting find. While doing seismic survey work 129 nautical miles east-north-east of the island of Unst (Shetland) the crew of the Sanco Scorpio found a … [continue reading]
Marine pollution incident as container ship’s dangerous cargo catches fire
The container ship X-press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka on the 20th of May. There were 1,486 containers on board when the fire started, of which 81 were reported as Dangerous Goods Containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid. The crew had found that a container was leaking nitric acid yet … [continue reading]
Dutch Fishing for Litter scheme celebrates 20 years of cleaner seas
The Fishing for Litter Scheme, once started as a small local initiative of three Dutch ports, celebrates its 20th anniversary today! Coming full circle, the celebrations took place in the city where it started: Den Helder. In 2016 the Fishing for Litter scheme was adopted by OSPAR and included in its Regional Action Plan. Next, … [continue reading]
New project invites the public to help track down ghost nets in the Limfjord
A new ghost net reporting tool has been unveiled by the Limfjord Council in Denmark. The Limfjord is a long strait between the Cimbrian Peninsula and the island of Vendsyssel-Thy. The waterway has an area of 1,500 km². It crosses the whole of Jutland and connects the North Sea with the Kattegat. The shoreline is … [continue reading]
New Fishing for Litter website celebrates ongoing work for cleaner seas
More than fifteen years after the launch of the first Fishing for Litter scheme, a new website is part of a plan to unite projects from all over Europe. Since being endorsed by the Regional Seas Convention for the North East Atlantic (OSPAR), Fishing for Litter schemes have been set up in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, … [continue reading]
European harbours plugging into an electric future
Shore side power and battery boats are spreading across Europe. KIMO members are leading the way as they support the future of maritime transport. Air pollution is a big problem is many harbour cities. At the same time, shipping is responsible for 940 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. In other words: about 2.5% … [continue reading]
KIMO applies for observer status with Bonn Agreement
KIMO International has asked for recognition as an official observer of the Bonn Agreement, an intergovernmental mechanism for cooperation on North Sea pollution. The Bonn Agreement traces its roots back to 1969, 21 years before KIMO was founded. At that time eight states with a North Sea coast – Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands, … [continue reading]
Three thousand lost shipping containers in just four months
Three major incidents mean more than double the number of shipping containers were lost in the last four months than the total lost in an average year. Cargo vessels lost a total of 2,979 shipping containers between November 2020 and March 2021. The unusually high number is due to significant losses from the ONE Apus, … [continue reading]
‘Forget me knot’ – fishers from Scotland to Sweden take on net cuttings pollution
With the fish-buying public increasingly concerned about plastic pollution, European fishermen are stepping up action to reduce their impact on the marine environment. KIMO researchers spoke to fishermen in four countries to learn more. Beach cleaners will instantly recognise fishermen’s ‘net cuttings’. These are the small pieces of rope and cord found on beaches all … [continue reading]
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