Conferences

WIOMSA Conference

“Science communication starts with a smile,” a quote taken from an exciting and thought provoking presentation by Dr Judy Mann at the WIOMSA 11th Scientific Symposium, held at the University of Mauritius. Dr Mann highlighted that communicating science is so important to create an informed society, but also a society that is motivated, inspired and empowered to act. Dr Mann said that, “knowledge does not necessarily change behaviour,” and it is key for us as science communicators to be conscious of people’s cultural beliefs and contexts, and provide the solutions they need to change their behaviour.

SST’s Dr Tony Ribbink, Amarein Fourie and Stephanie Martin attended the conference and absorbed these and other inspirational messages from the symposium, to enhance SST’s strategies to achieving Zero Plastics to the Seas of Africa.

The symposium, held in sunny Mauritius, from the 1st to the 6th of July 2019 was attended by delegates from around the world with a specific interest in scientific research and ocean conservation in the Western Indian Ocean. Presentations and posters were offered by scientists researching a variety of topics from ocean acidification, fisheries and the economic value of ecosystem services to microplastic pollution.

Dr Tony Ribbink chaired two parallel sessions focused on developing a stakeholder strategy to achieve Zero Plastics to the Seas of the Western Indian Ocean, and to showcase cutting edge research on microplastics being conducted throughout the Western Indian Ocean region. These sessions saw presentations from Prof Linda Godfrey (CSIR), Peter Manyara (IUCN), Prof Henk Bouwman (North-West University, South Africa), and our very own Amarein Fourie. Amarein explained that microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. She highlighted that the microplastic research conducted by SST is the first of its kind in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and it indicates a strong need for further research in the contamination of regularly consumed seafood species by microplastics. This research is vital to influence policy and change the way consumers behave when managing their household waste.

During the symposium, the SST team also met with the group of Mauritian scientists, led by Dr Sushma Mattan-Moorgawa who will be undertaking the WIOMSA Marine Litter Monitoring Project (coordinated by SST) in Mauritius, the first of its kind on the island. Miss Linisha Seeruttun, part of the monitoring team, presented her pioneering research on the distribution of macro, meso and microplastics in Mauritian mangrove habitats. Shockingly, plastic pollution was found in all of the mangrove habitats within her study.

Stephanie Martin presented her poster on the African Waste Academy (AWA) alongside other capacity building programmes being developed to enhance ocean conservation within the Western Indian Ocean. There was much interest from delegates to join the AWA network, and attend and present in its future webinars.

Attending the symposium offered a wonderful opportunity to learn, network and experience the splendour of Mauritius. The SST team who attended would like to give sincere thanks to all the amazing delegates of the symposium, and especially to WIOMSA for providing partial funding to Amarein Fourie to attend and present her work. We would also like to congratulate Dr Julius Francis and his team from WIOMSA for organising a spectacular symposium. We all certainly left with a smile and feeling inspired!

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This category includes various tiers of governance responsible for policymaking, implementation, and oversight. It comprises:

  • National government, which governs at the highest level of a state,
  • Provincial/Regional authorities that manage sub-national jurisdictions,
  • Local municipalities with elected community representatives for a specific country or district, and
  • Government agencies or institutions, such as environmental departments or authorities, that implement mandates in specific sectors or fields of study.

These are entities formed through collaboration between multiple countries or states to address regional or international concerns. These include:

  • International multilateral organisations created by treaties between two or more nations working towards issues of common interest
  • Regional Economic Bodies that facilitate economic integration in specific African regions,
  • River Basin Commissions managing shared water resources, and
  • Regional Conventions, which are legally binding agreements among states in a region to promote and help localised international standards.

This category includes institutions and academic bodies that generate scientific knowledge and conduct studies related to marine, environmental, or plastic pollution issues. It includes:

  • Research institutes, which are to establish to conduct research
  • Universities, which combine education and academic research at an advanced level.

This category encompasses learning institutions and youth-focused networks that promote environmental awareness and leadership. It includes:

  • Schools for formal education of children
  • Youth networks that represent young people between the ages of 7 and 35, and
  • Youth groups, communities and associations which are informal or formal and focused on empowering youth.

Civil society includes non-state, nonprofit groups active in advocacy, service delivery, or community development. Subcategories include:

  • Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating independently from government,
  • Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) committed to specific social or environmental causes,
  • Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) embedded in and serving local communities or significant segments,
  • Charity Groups focusing on philanthropy and social well-being, and
  • Facilitation Agencies that coordinate or distribute services among approved charitable, non-profit making preferred sources.

This sector represents the structured business actors in the plastic value chain, from production to retail. It includes:

  • Importers (such as a country, business or person) buy raw materials or products from another country for use in their own country.
  • Raw material producers provide materials for converters and manufacturers and can include virgin or recycled materials.
  • Converters blending materials (virgin or recyclate) and additives into formulated feedstock.
  • Brand owners who are the owners of a product or service, and retailers, such as FMCG companies that distribute goods.

These are organised and legally recognised entities involved in the collection, processing, and sorting of waste. Types include:

  • Waste logistics companies responsible for transporting and collecting waste and material recovery facilities,
  • Waste processors/recyclers are large scale entities that process waste into secondary raw materials or products,
  • Buy-back centres where recyclables are exchanged for money, and
  • Drop-off sites where recyclables are deposited for disposal or further processing.

This category consists of non-formalised individuals or groups engaged in waste collection and recycling, often for income. It includes:

  • Waste pickers, who collect reusable and recyclable materials independently to either sell on or use for personal consumption,
  • Cooperatives, collectively run collection operation,
  • Informal sector associations that support and represent the informal sector.

This category includes collaborative platforms and representative bodies that promote sector-wide coordination. It consists of:

  • FMCG associations working with brand owners and retailers in circularity,
  • Plastic industry associations represent the entire value chain of plastics, regionally or nationally to drive innovation, technology, and policy,
  • Pacts and networks foster joint commitments and agreements through group or connected systems,
  • Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) are collecting entities set up by the obliged companies or legislation, responsible for waste-related obligations of the obliged companies and assisting with managing collective waste obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws.

This category includes organisations and groups that actively work to protect natural ecosystems and biodiversity, both on land and at sea. It encompasses:

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  • Nature reserves are tract of land managed for the preservation of its flora, fauna and physical features,
  • Marine conservation organizations focusing on ocean ecosystems, and
  • Clean-up groups engaging in direct action to clean up the environment.

This category refers to entities specializing in the manufacturing, filling and selling bottles containing products such as water, beverages, and cleaning agents for commercial distribution. Bottlers are typically part of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry and play a significant role in the packaging value chain. They may:

  • Work independently or be linked to brand owners,
  • Rely on imported or locally produced containers,
  • Have obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to manage their post-consumer waste.

This category includes designated locations where waste is deposited, buried, or left in open land. These sights are typically government owned and operated. It consists of:

  • Formal landfill sites, which are engineered and monitored for environmental compliance,
  • These sites are critical points in the waste management system, affecting land use, pollution levels, and the recovery potential of materials,
  • They are often connected to both the formal waste sector (e.g., municipal services) and informal waste collectors who retrieve recyclables from them.