1. Marine litter and sea turtles: results of MEDASSET’s activities in the Adriatic and Ionian region
Presentation prepared for the "Conference on Sub-Regional Cooperation in Marine Litter Management in Adriatic-Ionian Sub-Region”
25 March 2015, Hotel President, Split, Croatia.

2. Founded in 1988, MEDASSET is an international environmental NGO registered as a charity and limited liability company in the UK and a Permanent Observer-Member to the Bern Convention, Council of Europe. MEDASSET is working closely with MEDASSET Greece – a not-for-profit organisation established in 1993 in Greece, which is a partner to the UN’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). Both organisations are active in the study and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats throughout the Mediterranean. Common goals are achieved through scientific research, environmental education, lobbying relevant decision makers, and raising public awareness. 

3. Sea turtles & marine litter
The Adriatic-Ionian region hosts major sea turtle habitats.
Caretta caretta nests, feeds, develops and overwinters in the region, while the Chelonia mydas and Dermochelys coriacea are occasionally found in the Adriatic and Ionian region. All three are priority species that are threatened with extinction.
Marine litter is considered one of the main threats to sea turtle survival[1] and sea turtles are useful indicator species for marine litter levels.
“Life is in your hands” video still: Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive Tel Aviv
D.Allen/C.M.C.-Washington D.C.
Melbourne Zoo, Australia
General map of marine and terrestrial sea turtle habitats in Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
Ingestion: Sea turtles of all species and age classes in the Mediterranean frequently ingest marine litter, especially plastic bags and other plastic items, as they mistake them for food. Litter ingestion blocks the digestive tract or fills the stomach, with lethal effects. Air bubbles in ingested items prevent turtles from diving. Hazardous chemicals contained in plastics accumulate in the animal’s body and affect metabolism, reproduction and the immune system.
Entanglement in derelict fishing gear and other marine litter causes injuries, infections, exhaustion and/or death. Marine litter washed ashore forms a lethal obstacle to hatchlings emerging from nests.
Monitoring and reduction of marine litter is a priority for sea turtle conservation in the region.
Since 1988, MEDASSET
documents litter problems during beach cleanups & sea turtle habitat assessments
advocates for improved waste management & marine litter reduction policies
raises awareness & educates the general public and younger generation
Here we present MEDASSET’s recent activities related to marine litter.
[1] Venizelos, L., Smith, M The impact of small garbage on the marine environment with emphasis on the Mediterranean marine turtle population. BCG Testudo 4 (4), 41–48.

4. Survey of coastal litter North Albania & South Montenegro
©MEDASSET, Photo: M.White
Survey of coastal litter North Albania & South Montenegro
Drini Bay is an important foraging & developmental habitat for loggerhead sea turtles according to the results of our collaborative research project
“Monitoring and Conservation of Important Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds in the Patok Area of Albania in ”.[2]
Map of surveyed areas & item counts
Litter at the River Ishmi outflow, in Drini Bay, Albania.
The project included a coastal litter survey in Drini Bay, Albania, and Ulcinj, Montenegro, in August - September 2009.
At each of the 11 locations, items along the coast were counted into categories and the worst affected areas were identified.
For methods see [3]
Plastics made up 85% of the total items counted by the survey. The south of Drini Bay, near the outflow of Ishmi River was the worst affected area.
Following our 2005 Rapid Assessment of the Albanian coast for sea turtles and monk seals, in 2008 we launched the three-year collaborative research project “Monitoring and Conservation of Important Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds in the Patok Area of Albania” including the first-ever sea turtle satellite tracking study launched from Albania.
Based on the scientific results of our research projects in Albania, we prepared a document with Management Recommendations for Drini Bay, as well as an Action Plan for the Conservation of Sea Turtles and their Habitats in Albania, which serves as a roadmap for the development of sea turtle monitoring and protection throughout Albania. It was adopted in 2012, through a Ministerial Order (No. 596, ) of the Minister of Environment, Forests & Water Administration, Mr. Fatmir Mediu. 
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[2] White, M., Boura, L. & Venizelos, L Population Structure for Sea Turtles at Drini Bay: An Important Nearshore Foraging and Developmental Habitat in Albania. Chelonian Conservation and Biology: December 2013, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp
[3] White, M., Haxhiu, I., Kararaj, E., Përkeqi, D., Petri, L., Saçdanaku, E., Boura, L. & Venizelos, L Plastic debris at an important sea turtle foraging ground in Albania. In: Blumenthal, J., A. Panagopoulou & A.F. Rees (Comps.). Proceedings of the 30th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Tech Memo NMFS-SEFSC-640. pp
Annex 2 of White et al Monitoring and Conservation of Important Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds in the Patok Area of Albania Final Project Report. A project of MEDASSET in collaboration with H.A.S., Albania; University of Tirana; ECAT, Albania. Supported by: GEF/SGP, Tirana; RAC/SPA (UNEP/MAP); UNEP/MAP.

5. Advocacy for illegal landfill closure
An illegal and saturated waste disposal site operates in the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Greece.
MEDASSET and other NGOs have reported and complained about recurring pollution events for over a decade. The European Commission decided to refer the case to the EU Court of Justice in 2012 (IP/12/1023). In February 2014, the local government finally ordered the landfill closure. However, the landfill still operates and concrete actions pending. Local government will have to present an action plan by the end of April.
© MEDASSET, 2013
Leachate and rubbish from illegal landfill pollute the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, the most important loggerhead sea turtle nesting site in the Mediterranean Sea.
Advocacy for marine litter reduction policies
MEDASSET encourages leaders to instigate groundbreaking policies that will tackle marine litter.
We participate in the processes related to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UNEP /MAP Ecosystem Approach Implementation Programme, and advocate for robust monitoring programmes, ambitious reduction targets and a plastic bag phase-out and ban.

6. Education, citizen science and beach cleanups
Using the sea turtle as a flagship species, MEDASSET has campaigned about the effects of litter in the marine environment since 1996.
© MEDASSET, 2013
The Small Garbage educational campaign focuses on small litter items, especially plastics and cigarette butts (1996-to date). Information is disseminated internationally to schools and the general public and via beach cleanups in Greece. Data recorded during cleanups in Kefalonia and Zakynthos islands in 2003 showed plastic was the most common item found.
MEDASSET designs and implements educational programmes and organises festivals to talk about marine litter, ghost fishing and sea turtles to students, their educators and parents with the aim to change littering habits and make informed decisions on consumption of products.
The Join In & Clean Up campaign ( ) has mobilised 12,084 volunteers who cleaned up 64 km of coastline in 44 beach cleanups in 19 locations in Greece [4]. These citizen-scientists recorded 230,555 items (18.5t). In total, more than 41,000 people have been informed on the devastating impact of marine litter via campaign material.
All our informational leaflets are available online.
[4] Interactive map in:

7. Derelict Fishing Gear Established in 2013
Initiated by Aquafil, ECNC Group and Star Sock
To remove ghost nets, from EU seas
Recovered fishing nets regenerated into ECONYL®
51 tonnes of nets have already been removed
Over 60 volunteer divers and numerous aquaculture companies, local communities, NGOs, governments have been involved in the North Sea and in the Adriatic Sea.
MEDASSET is the official local partner for Greece/Mediterranean Pilot Project
Our role includes establishing collection points throughout Greece for derelict nets’ in cooperation with fishermen associations and fish farms, coordinating and implementing diving actions in the Ionian and the Aegean Seas for the retrieval of ghost nets, and raising awareness on the issue.
Since 2014, Healthy Seas partnered with DeFishGear for activities in the Adriatic Sea.
Figure: The Healthy Seas approach,
In 2013 Aquafil, ECNC Group and Star Sock together established the ‘Healthy Seas, a Journey from Waste to Wear’ initiative ( which aims to remove derelict fishing nets, from EU seas. The recovered fishing nets are and regenerated into ECONYL® yarn ( a high-quality raw material used to create upcycled products, (socks, swimwear, underwear, carpets etc).

8. Awareness Raising
In 2012, MEDASSET created a poster to raise awareness about the lethal effect of plastic litter and esp. plastic bags on sea turtles.
On the 2nd day of its release it went viral on social media, viewed by millions around the world and shared by over 240,000 on Facebook.
The poster has been adopted by 65 organisations, translated in 12 languages and it is in permanent display by prestigious institutions, aquariums and museums around the world. Its success led to its adaptation to an animated public service announcement.
We invite you to adopt the campaign and help inform others in your country.

9. Thank you!
© MEDASSET, 2013