Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

236 Chapter 9: The Marine Environment Marine litter and plastics Litter remains abundant across Atlantic beaches (ETC/ ICM, 2023; Lacroix et al. , 2022). Beach litter is defined as any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment and encountered on beaches. Single-use plastics and maritime-related plastic litter, such as those from fishing and aquaculture activities, are the most common components of beach litter. Four beaches around the coast of Ireland were monitored over the same transect four times a year using the common OSPAR methodology. The median value was below the threshold value of 20 items per 100 m at two of the four beaches surveyed over the period 2016-2021. The beaches at Silver Strand, Co. Mayo and Carnsore, Co. Wexford fell below the threshold value at 16 and 19 items per 100 m, respectively. Long Strand, Co. Cork and Clogherhead, Co. Louth exceeded the threshold value with 182 items and 90 items per 100 m, respectively. 10 fishingforlitter.org/ireland (accessed 2 May 2024). For comparison, the median total count in the OSPAR North-East Atlantic Area over the period 2018-2020 was 252 items per 100 m, so levels of beach litter in Ireland are below those in other countries in northern Europe (Lacroix et al. , 2022). To strive towards achieving low litter levels on all beaches, multiple legislative measures are in place to control litter entering the marine environment (ETC/ICM, 2023) (Figure 9.14). In Ireland, legislative changes include a ban on microbeads, introduced at the end of 2019, and the launch of a deposit return scheme focusing on single- use plastics and other drinks containers in 2024. Bord Iascaigh Mhara operates the Fishing for Litter 10 initiative to encourage fishers to take ashore the litter they encounter at sea while fishing. However, more action is needed to further reduce the prevalence of marine litter along Irish coasts. Figure 9.14  European directives relevant to marine litter and domains they target across the life cycle of plastics and waste Eco-design Directive Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive Waste Framework Directive Landfill Directive Port Reception Facilities Directive Water Framework Directive Single-Use Plastics Directive Urban Waste Treatment Directive Bathing Water Directive Marine Strategy Framework Directive Source: Adapted from Deltares graphic in ETC/ICM, 2023