The European Free LitterAT project, coordinated by CETMAR, is making significant progress in the fight against marine litter in the Atlantic
- Partners from Spain, Portugal, France and Ireland met in the Portuguese town of Cascais to review the progress of this initiative, in which Intecmar, the IEO-CSIC and the University of Santiago are also participating.
The Centro Tecnolóxico do Mar and its partners in Free LitterAT reviewed the progress made in the fight against marine litter in the Atlantic through the various initiatives carried out by this European project, now entering its final stages. A meeting held in the Portuguese town of Cascais, brought together representatives from the institutions in Spain, Portugal, France and Ireland that make up the consortium.
Through a comprehensive and coordinated approach, the Free LitterAT partners confirmed significant progress in the prevention of marine litter. To date, interviews have been conducted in various ports to assess the implementation of European waste management regulations and analyse recycling processes. This work led to the compilation and systematisation of best practices on a platform accessible on the project’s website.
In parallel, life-cycle studies of fishing nets were completed in various countries, whilst recycling protocols for different types of gear were developed and evaluated, alongside guidelines, protocols and fact sheets for the management of by-catch.
All these actions were reinforced through the organisation of thematic workshops on single-use plastics, waste management regulations and waste fishing, and local workshops – the first one held in France – to be continued in the remaining countries, alongside transnational pilot actions to test waste management practices. This is complemented by a socio-economic study providing key information on public perception and social impact of these initiatives.
Regarding monitoring, progress was reported on tracking seabed litter using remotely operated underwater vehicles or analysing images of deep-sea waste; advances were made in characterising benthic macro-litter; and steps forward were taken in microplastic monitoring systems.
The meeting also served to present the initial results of the workshops organised in Brest (France) and Porto Santo (Portugal), aimed at identifying the geographical sources and activities responsible for marine litter, alongside preliminary assessments of pollution distribution in the Atlantic. Critical zones and priority areas for intervention were identified to guide future pilot actions and optimise monitoring and removal strategies.
The work undertaken by the Free LitterAT partners also resulted in a series of significant advances in modelling, with focus on the study of plastic degradation, biofouling, resuspension and the processes involved in waste reaching the shore (‘beaching’).
These studies are now being incorporated into the Lagrangian marine litter model, an oceanographic simulation tool that tracks the movement of individual particles by following their trajectory in time and space. This model was recently updated, enabling the analysis of the origin, transport and destination of this waste, establishing the link between accumulation zones and land-based sources, and thus improving the planning of prevention and removal strategies.
In addition, a second model, now completed and validated, simulates the drifting behaviour of nets and other fishing gear. The combination of these tools, together with the identification of critical accumulation spots, provides key information for optimising waste management and anticipating areas of risk.
Regarding waste reduction, participants shared their work on tackling abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, by-catch waste, waste accumulated in coastal areas, and fibres and microplastics. In this area, campaigns to test technological equipment for detecting abandoned gear, and the launch of new initiatives are being planned.
Other notable milestones included progress in the removal of marine litter from coastal accumulation zones, even in remote areas, and innovative solutions, such as the advances in microplastic filtration devices for washing machines, designed as practical measures to reduce pollution at source.
The Free LitterAT consortium, made up of CETMAR, the Instituto Tecnolóxico para o Control do Medio Mariño (Intecmar), the University of Santiago and the IEO-CSIC, will keep on strengthening its approach to the prevention, monitoring and reduction of marine litter with an ambitious plan of pilot actions, workshops and training and awareness-raising initiatives scheduled for 2026.
