Without us, marine litter would not exist. But without you, it would remain a plague to our beaches and oceans. This year marks the 25th Edition of Surfrider Europe’s Ocean Initiatives program with record numbers of dedicated citizens showing up to take time for the ocean. The strength and energy behind the program is a reflection of growing public awareness and a collective desire to put an end to plastic pollution.
Ocean Initiatives, a participatory science
Since 1995, Surfrider Europe’s flagship program has sought to mobilize a community that is invested in ocean protection. By engaging our extensive volunteer network and supplying them with the resources necessary to educate their communities and take action on the ground, we are working to put a stop to this ecological disaster at the source, for good.
While a significant portion of the program involves the physical collection of waste from our beaches, lakes, and riverbeds, the mission and impact of Ocean Initiatives reach far beyond an afternoon in the sun. Information gathered during collections helps to inform communities on the impact of consumer behaviors and the mounting plastic pollution caused by commercial activity.
Post-collection waste sorting and analysis allows the NGO to generate valuable data on the types of pollution most prevalently found along the coast. These figures are used to develop scientific reports that Surfrider lobbying experts use to support their cases against Top Polluters and influence ocean-focused legislation at the European level.
A growing mobilization
This year for the 2019 Ocean Initiatives launch weekend, March 21-24, approximately 5,000 citizens gathered on more than a hundred beaches across Europe, an all-time high for the program. This impressive showing reflects one of Surfrider Europe’s main objectives, namely to mobilize and sensitize greater audiences each year. The enthusiasm felt throughout the Surfrider community signals a behavioral shift, a movement towards consumption without plastic and promotion of alternative solutions.
Simon Witt, Project Manager Surfrider Coastal Defenders and Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs
An argument to alarm decision makers
To turn activism into lasting change, Surfrider Europe maintains a strong presence amidst Europe’s political and economic authorities representing action for ocean protection. Most recently, the NGO’s demand for stricter regulations for the production and use of plastics helped to pass the Single Use Plastic Directive adopted by the European Commission.
This is a victory that is due to the work of the volunteers taking part in waste collections, who quantify and qualify the items found in detailed report form. It’s due to the citizen scientists who compile collection data and draft formal reports of the findings. It is due to the strength of Surfrider’s lobbying team who take these resources and present them to decision makers and demand action. Every hand that picks up waste, and each voice that speaks in favor of the ocean is responsible for fueling Surfrider Europe’s environmental victories and the global fight for ocean protection.
And this momentum is crucial now more than ever, just a few weeks before the 2019 European elections.
