Regional Government launches new clean-up campaign to tackle growing marine litter threat
Horta
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas
As part of the celebrations of European Maritime Day (May 20), the Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries, through the Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies (DRPM), and in collaboration with the Blue Azores programme, invites the entire Azorean community to take part in the Regional Coastal and Underwater Clean-up Campaign 2025.
The initiative aims to join forces in protecting the coastal ecosystem and marine life by removing waste accumulated in the marine environment. There are already 25 clean-up actions in May.
In the Azores, the latest data shows that marine litter continues to pose a serious threat to natural habitats.
According to the latest report assessing the environmental status of the Azores' marine waters under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the abundance of macro-litter on Azorean beaches is above the European reference limit (20 items/100 m), with a regional median of 50 items/100 m. This reflects the urgent need to reduce the presence of this type of waste by 60% to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES).
Marine litter in the Azores is dominated by plastics, which account for 84% of the waste collected on the coast/beaches between 2016 and 2023, with small plastic fragments (between 0 and 2.5 cm) being the most frequent.
These materials not only degrade the landscape but also have significant impacts on marine wildlife, from ingestion by birds, such as Corey's shearwater specimens, to the entanglement of turtles and cetaceans.
All the data collected during the clean-up actions carried out in 2025 will also contribute to the targets of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA and CircularOcean projects (1/MAC/2/2.6/0023), in addition to being part of the international reporting within the scope of the MSFD and the OSPAR Convention. This will reinforce the active role of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in protecting the North-East Atlantic.
How to participate:
- Organise a clean-up action in your area, preferably within Natura 2000 areas;
- Take part in actions already planned by local associations or schools (registered events will be disseminated on the Government's marine litter portal);
- Advertise the campaign on social media, inviting friends and family to join in;
- Register the type and weight of waste collected at: www.lixomarinho.azores.gov.pt.
The actions are open to schools, associations, companies and citizens in general.
Registration for an initiative can be done by filling in the form available at https://forms.gle/efhswVYyYyPd5fnu9 or by contacting: [email protected].
