In Expocenter “Flora” of Burgas was held an eco seminar on topic “The Impact of Solid Waste Pollution in the Black Sea and Other Aspects of Environmental Protection” on 2-3 October 2018, in which prominent scientists and lecturers, working in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources took part.
The seminar was opened by Sevdalina Tourmanova, Deputy Governor, Professor at Prof. A. Zlatarov University and regional representative of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the Burgas and region. Ruska Boyadzhieva, Deputy Mayor of European Policies and the Environment, also welcomed the speech. The seminar also includes representatives of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Burgas and the “Black Sea Region” Basin Directorate.
The seminar is part of the project “Innovative Techniques and Methods for Reducing Marine Litter in the Black Sea Coastal Areas”, priority 2.2. “Awareness Raising and Joint Actions for Reducing River and Marine Litter”, Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea Basin 2014-2020”, which will be implemented jointly with partners from Romania (University of Constanta) and Georgia (Tbilisi State University), the leading partner is the Via Pontica Foundation, Bulgaria.
The project starts in the second half of August 2018 and will last for 30 months until February 2021. Its main objective is to reduce pollution of the Black Sea basin by tracking and analyzing the main waste streams and carrying out pilot activities to clean pre-defined areas of marine litter. A computerized map will also be developed during implementation to provide for waste movements, a Hot Spot Identification Method and Guidelines for Environmentally Friendly Marine Litter Management will be developed as well as a project documentary. Cross-border cleaning campaigns will be organized.
The main topics discussed during the first day of the seminar were: “Discharges and Coastal Emitters”, “Pollution of the Black Sea with Plastic Waste”, “Plastics and Lagoons in the World – What Are the Dangers for the Black Sea”, “Remote and visual observations of marine litter”, “Monitoring of Marine Waste on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast”, “Monitoring of waste deposited on the seabed”, “Methods for Sample Collection, Distribution and Evaluation” and “Presentation of the More Care Project, funded under the Bulgaria – Turkey Cross-Border Cooperation Programme”.
During the second day were reviewed and discussed: “Waste in the Black Sea – People’s Responsibility to the Sustainable Development of the Marine Ecosystem”, “Black Sea Pollution Risk Assessment”, “Ships as a Source of Pollution of the Black Sea with Solid Waste”, “How Do We, as Consumers, Influence the Pollution of the Black Sea and What Each of Us Can Do Right Now”, “Ringing as a Method for studying Bird Migration and Some Interesting Ringing Results Conducted in the Atanasovsko Lake Reserve”, “Plastics pollution on the Black Sea” (remote from Germany) and “Ecological Problems of the Black Sea”.
During the seminar lively discussions took place, including on the main issues that are the subject of the forum.
The name of the selected theme itself is a challenge, and certainly the opinions expressed in this forum will be a very important contribution to defining the objectives, benefits and ways of successful implementation of the Black Sea Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020, funded by the EU.