Seychelles is becoming overwhelmed by marine plastic - but where does the debris come from?

More than 1,000km southwest of Mahé, the main inhabited island in Seychelles, lies a ring of coral islands called the Aldabra Atoll. The islands are a Unesco world heritage site and support a huge diversity of marine species including manta rays, tiger sharks and green turtles. Due to its remoteness, Aldabra has been protected by pollution but now things are changing as more and more debris gets “beached” on its coastline.

As it often happens in SIDS, none of the plastic that washes up on Aldabra comes from the islands themselves. Rather, to reach these remote beaches debris coming from industrialised countries must float in the ocean for months.

Plastics and other pollutants are rarely produced in SIDS, rather they arrive there through imports or the ocean. Once on site, they are very difficult and costly to manage and put in danger ecosystems and livelihoods. That's why at ISLANDS we are actively supporting the reduction and safe management of waste in small island states around the world.

Kiribati will return to Pacific Islands Forum ending a dramatic rupture in the region’s peak diplomatic body. This was confirmed by Fiji’s prime minister after he met with Kiribati president Taneti Maamau.

Pacific SIDS may be small, but together they govern an immense and rich oceanic territory. United, the Pacific can go a long way in international governance and this is even more important in the context of rising sea levels, climate change, pollution and struggle over precious underwater resources.

Good news for the Pacific!

ISLANDS is assisting SIDS to move towards low chemical development pathways. Chemicals (and POPs specifically) are everywhere. PFAS, recently listed in the Stockholm Convention, has properties that make fabric coated with them water resistant. PFAS has recently been the subject of a class action suit relating to underwear in the USA: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/well/pfas-thinx-period-underwear.html

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has arrived in Cabo Verde for the Ocean Race Summit.

Guterres highlighted the risk that the SIDS-country is facing due to climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss - in particular droughts and loss of livelihoods.

He added that he was "profoundly frustrated by the fact that world leaders are not taking the necessary action and making the investments needed to face this life and death emergency."

Cabo Verde is one of the SIDS working under ISLANDS to manage waste and fight chemicals pollution. The activities of the ISLANDS Atlantic Ocean project will start soon and regular updates will be provided on this community.

More news from the Pacific on the work of the Collection Pillars of Recycling, published on FBCnews.com in Fiji. Amitesh Deo, the founder and CEO of the Pacific Recycling Foundation, expands on the need for further support for those who collect recyclables from public places or dump sites, and the work being done with the government to transition the work of the Collection Pillars of Recycling into formal employment opportunities.
The ISLANDS Programme fully supports initiatives of this kind that bring opportunities and security to those who work and make their living in this sector, especially when there is an emphasis on the well-being of women and other marginalized groups.

How can innovation and the digital economy make an impact in SIDS and SID-like territory?

What could be the benefits, in terms of waste and pollution, of diversifying the economy, moving away from the dependence of the tourism sector?

Zanzibar is launching Silicon Zanzibar, a programme that will offer incentives to boost local digital services and reduce the country’s dependence on the tourism sector.

Read the article to find out more!

For those missed it, the Guardian UK has began focusing attention on PFAS, a persistent organic pollutant (POP) or "forever chemical." The latest article focuses on PFAS in freshwater fish: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/freshwater-fish-con…

But a previous article also focused on PFAS in orcas tested in Canadian waters: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/14/endangered-orcas-fo…

In ISLANDS - we are focusing on reducing all POPs covered under the Stockholm Convention - many of these, like PFAS, people don't know much about. Over the next few years we will be sharing and learning together in ISLANDS about how to reduce PFAS and other POPs chemicals.

Greetings!

I am new in this group, so let me introduce myself - I am Anastasiya from Uzbekistan and serve as a Senior Project Assistant to GGKP. I will be supporting
"Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States (ISLANDS)" Programme funded by GEF.

I am very excited to join Green Forum, share and learn from experience of other members!