2015 Ocean Summit on Marine Debris

by Guy Perrin on 16 May 2015 Sponsored by Ocean Conservancy and the Volvo Ocean Race, the 2015 Ocean Summit was hosted at the VOR Race Village earlier today and captured the interest of a wide audience at the Volvo Pavillon.

Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a local sailor and former attorney general involved in many marine legal cases shared his views and support to get the conversations going.

VOR CEO Knut Frostad and Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright followed suit with a compelling video 'Experiencing Life at Sea' showcasing crew experiences in dealing with debris in recent race legs. The closing scene shows Bouwe Bekking looking into the distance, commenting: 'It's not funny anymore...'

While Charlie Enright focused on the challenges associated with keeping the VOR65 performing at their full potential in seas of debris, Knut Frostad shared his four-point perspective on the issue:
- Ownership, whose responsibility is it?
- Ignorance, no one cares when the problem is far away from shore.
- Time, it's too often easier to throw garbage in the sea than the bin.
- The story, share the issue with everyone!

Following the sailors, Dr Sandra Whitehouse, senior policy advisor at Ocean Conservancy took the stage and shared important data about the exact nature of the problem; she went on to explain that, fortunately, a solution is within our reach and is achievable. A position further supported by other government officials and industry specialists, including Catherine Novelli, USA Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment 'The situation is not hopeless' she said.

Statement from Ocean Conservancy: Volvo Ocean Race Summit on Marine Debris

The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world’s most demanding global competitions. During the nine-month race around the world, nine teams are sailing in some of the most dangerous waters on the planet. From May 5-17th, the Race will stop in Newport, Rhode Island, the only North America stopover. On Friday, May 15th, the Race will hold an Ocean Summit to explore the topic of marine debris. Below is a statement from Andreas Merkl, CEO of Ocean Conservancy:

“Ocean Conservancy is grateful to the organizers and participants of the Volvo Ocean Race for bringing the issue of plastic marine debris to center stage. We know that plastic doesn’t belong in the ocean, and yet it’s no surprise that the teams and sailors have seen significant amounts of plastic in their race around the globe. Earlier this year, new research showed that roughly eight million tons of plastic trash is entering the ocean every year. This is on top of the 150 million tons that we think is already in the ocean. In a decade, our ocean could hold one pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish. But there is good news. This is a problem we can solve. We now know that the majority of plastic trash in the ocean is coming from developing economies, where the increasing use of disposable plastic goods is outpacing waste collection and management.

Today’s Ocean Summit on Marine Debris shows that creating a lasting solution to this problem will take close partnership and coordination between the public and private sector, on a global level. While a challenge, the conversations today show that the intellectual clout of some of the world’s foremost ocean experts are committed to ending this saga of marine debris.

Ocean Conservancy is hard at work identifying the core tenets of this problem and working with our partners in the Trash Free Seas Alliance to make plastic marine debris a thing of the past. We are working with governments, corporations, scientists and conservation groups to figure out how to meaningfully improve waste management - what solutions will work in which countries, and how much will it cost – in a way that makes a real difference to the ocean and the communities impacted by this growing problem.

Again, our gratitude goes out to the Volvo Ocean Race organizers and participants for making this issue a priority, and best of luck to the teams as they continue on their journey around the world.”

Ocean Conservancy educates and empowers citizens to take action on behalf of the ocean. From the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico to the halls of Congress, Ocean Conservancy brings people together to find solutions for our water planet. Informed by science, our work guides policy and engages people in protecting the ocean and its wildlife for future generations.