Thumbnail Image

EAF-Nansen Programme’s work on marine litter and microplastics

Summary of achievements 2019–2023














Kershaw, P. 2025. EAF-Nansen Programme's work on marine litter and microplastics – Summary of achievements, 2019–2023. FAO EAF-Nansen Programme Report No. 77. Rome, FAO.




Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Technical report
    The impact of marine litter on the beach seine fishery of four countries in the Gulf of Guinea: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo / L'impact des déchets marins sur la pêche à la senne de plage de quatre pays dans le Golfe de Guinée: Bénin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana et Togo
    A preliminary investigation of the social and economic impacts of marine litter on fishing communities / Une étude préliminaire des impacts sociaux et économiques des déchets marins sur les communautés de pêcheurs
    2025
    Also available in:
    No results found.

    Artisanal sea-based capture fisheries are a key source of nutrition and income in many parts of West Africa. Marine litter has significantly increased in recent years due to the rise of single-use plastics and inadequate waste management, particularly affecting developing countries with limited infrastructure. While there is widespread concern that marine litter negatively impacts beach seine fishing, evidence to support this is lacking. This report presents a preliminary investigation of the social and economic effects of marine litter on beach seine fisheries in four Gulf of Guinea countries: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo. The study, conducted under the EAF-Nansen Programme, aims to support better fisheries management. Common sampling protocols were used to collect equivalent sociodemographic, fisheries, and environmental data, both qualitative and quantitative, to record the impact of marine litter on fishing communities. The study's results will help define local, national, and regional management measures to reduce marine waste and improve the sustainability of coastal communities, thus contributing to poverty reduction and food security.La pêche artisanale de capture en mer est une source essentielle de nourriture et de revenus dans de nombreuses régions d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Les déchets marins ont considérablement augmenté ces dernières années, suite à la croissance des plastiques à usage unique et à une gestion des déchets inadéquate, affectant particulièrement les pays en développement avec des infrastructures limitées. Bien qu'il y ait une préoccupation généralisée quant à l'impact négatif des déchets marins sur la pêche à la senne de plage, les preuves à l'appui de cette affirmation sont insuffisantes. Ce rapport présente une enquête préliminaire sur les impacts sociaux et économiques des déchets marins sur la pêche à la senne de plage dans quatre pays du Golfe de Guinée: Bénin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana et Togo. L'étude, réalisée dans le cadre du Programme EAF-Nansen, vise à soutenir une meilleure gestion des pêches. Des protocoles d'échantillonnage communs ont été utilisés pour collecter des données sociodémographiques, halieutiques et environnementales équivalentes, qualitatives et quantitatives, afin de déterminer l'impact des déchets marins sur les communautés de pêcheurs. Les résultats de l'étude aideront à définir des mesures de gestion locales, nationales et régionales pour réduire les déchets marins et améliorer la durabilité des communautés côtières, contribuant ainsi à la réduction de la pauvreté et à l'amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Brochure
    Marine litter - Assessing the distribution and impact of marine litter in Africa and the Bay of Bengal
    An initiative of the EAF-NANSEN Programme
    2024
    Also available in:

    Urgent action is needed to reduce the leakage of plastics to the ocean. To do this we need more information on the quantities and types of litter that have leaked, especially from regions and countries where data are scarce or lacking. With more knowledge, we will also be able to estimate the risk to local fishing communities in terms of social health well-being and economic resilience. In addition, we will be better placed to assess the impact of litter on key maritime sectors, such as fisheries, as well as on key environmental indicators such as breeding grounds and sensitive habits. The EAF-Nansen Programme has been running two studies on marine litter. The first study involved the recording of the litter retrieved in the demersal trawl, during surveys with the research vessel (R/V) Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, in the period 2011–2023. The second study examined the impact of marine litter on the beach seine fishery of four countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The EAF-Nansen Programme is a longstanding partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Norway, dating back to 1975. It is executed by FAO in close collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research in Norway (IMR), and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Brochure
    Management of beach seine fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea. An initiative of the EAF-Nansen Programme 2021
    Also available in:

    The projects to support the management of beach seine fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea are part of the EAF-Nansen Programme (2017–2022). The long term objective of the programme is to promote sustainable fisheries that will improve the food and nutritional security of populations of partner countries. The projects to support the management of beach seine fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea are aimed at supporting the implementation of concerted management plans in order to harmonize fisheries management through regional collaboration. The projects contribute to the expected results of the EAF-Nansen Programme, particularly that fisheries management institutions manage fisheries according to the EAF principles and related indicators. The projects contribute also towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life below Water).

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.