Workshop on Best Practices in Marine Debris Management in APEC Coastal Cities held in Xiamen

A workshop on best practices in marine debris management in APEC region coastal cities was held on November 4th, 2017 in Xiamen.

 
The workshop invited around 100 coastal managers, researchers and policy makers working on marine debris issues from APEC economies, including the United States, Australia, Chile, Indonesia, South Korea, Peru, and Thailand.

 
The workshop, a project officially approved by APEC’s Oceans and Fisheries Working Group, was proposed by China, co-sponsored by Thailand and the United States, and organized by the APEC Marine Sustainable Development Center, China’s State Oceanic Administration No.3 Ocean Institute, and Xiamen Oceans and Fisheries Bureau.

 
 The workshop is part of China’s commitment to implementing the Xiamen Declaration (2014) to reduce marine debris, showing China’s best practice in marine waste management, sharing  experience in the management of waste in coastal cities and providing suggestions for solving the problem of marine waste in coastal cities.

 
With the rapid urbanization of APEC economies, marine debris has brought a significant and growing threat to public health and the environment, costing APEC economies billions of dollars a year in losses to fishing, shipping, tourism and insurance.

 
The workshop is the first international conference on  marine waste issues under the APEC framework that has been held in China.