SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 7 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands has organized together with the Spanish Association of Garbage (AEBAM) the I International Forum on marine litter and circular economy in insular environments-Marlice Islands 2023, which will be will be held in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) on March 7 and 8.
The regional councilor of the Area, José Antonio Valbuena, highlighted the novel approach that this meeting proposes. “The Marlice Islands program includes different sessions and parallel activities that will connect experts from different countries around the problem of marine litter from the singularity of isolated territories, seeking solutions and sharing experiences, studies and policies on islands of different seas and oceans of the planet”, he explained.
“The islands suffer from ocean pollution in a particular way as they are a potential transit area for large ocean currents loaded with macro and micro marine debris,” said Valbuena, who pointed out that they also seek to reduce their role as a possible source of marine debris with specific solutions. “A future of clean oceans passes through islands free of marine debris, which is why Marlice Islands 2023 was born,” she added.
For her part, the president of the AEBAM, Pilar Zorzo, declared that the association continues to bet on the generation of synergies with the different actors involved and stressed that the opportunity provided by the Canarian Government “is unique to be able to take Marlice to the island environments”. “This new Marlice Islands 2023 Forum is an opportunity to join forces to improve knowledge and management of marine litter on islands in different parts of the world,” she said.
During the two days of participatory technical sessions, citizens, the productive sector, public administration and research will share strategies, monitoring protocols and action criteria for improving the prevention and management of marine litter generated in island environments; such as marine litter monitoring programs, strategies based on the circular economy, impact studies of marine litter on island ecosystems, etc.
Spaces for networking will be set up with activities that accelerate the relationship between different sectors, discussion tables and dynamic activities for the presentation of projects.
In addition, from the Marlice4People program, the forum will share initiatives with citizens and invite them to collaborate in the change towards a future free of garbage in our seas and oceans in collaboration with the Puerto de la Cruz City Council.
The program will be divided into three axes with different themes for the general public: MartliceArte, with a contest and photographic exhibition, an art exhibition made with marine garbage and a concert; MarliceCinema and LittleMarlice, with activities with children in schools, as well as carrying out other activities such as planting trees or cleaning the beaches.
In these days and until February 20, the I ‘Marine Litter’ Photography Contest will be open Marlice, whose theme will focus on marine litter, which includes “any persistent solid of non-natural origin (manufactured) that has been discarded, deposited or abandoned in marine and/or coastal environments” (UNEP, 2009), including materials transported to the marine environment from terrestrial sources through rivers, runoff, sewers or by wind action.
The event will take place mainly in the Lago Martiánez halls, an emblematic space designed in the 50s by César Manrique where the Atlantic Ocean merges with architecture, art and nature and which, since 1995, has been recognized as an asset of cultural interest. .
The Marlice Islands 2023 International Forum is promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, coordinated by the AEBAM and has the support of the Hon. Puerto de la Cruz City Council, Fundación Canarias Recicla and EWASTE, and the collaboration of Ecoembes and PreZero.
