Bangkok, 17 June 2008 - Marine litter and its effects on the marine and coastal environment in the East Asian Seas, is the focus of the Clean up the East Asian Seas Campaign, launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA). The campaign, which spans Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, aims to draw public attention to the seriousness of the problem in the region and encourage communities and national authorities to take action at a local level.

“There’s a paucity of data on marine litter in the East Asian Sea region, so little is known about the extent and nature of the problem. However, the fact that it is the most populous region in the world with 60% of its population living in coastal areas, that it has the most trafficked shipping lanes and one of the largest fishing industries in the world, speaks for the fact that the situation is as severe, or worse than in any other part of the world,” said Dr. Srisuda Jayarabhand, Coordinator of the COBSEA Secretariat.

Globally, more than 6.4 million tons of garbage is dumped in the oceans annually and trash in the ocean kills one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement.

"The data collected from the International Coastal Cleanup show that shoreline and recreational activities account for more than 50% of trash in the ocean", says Sonya Besteiro, Manager, Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup. "Trash doesn’t fall from the sky, it falls from people’s hands. And it’s preventable. Besides raising awareness, the Cleanup provides important information on the sources of debris that cause the problem in the first place. Improved data and information is imperative in order to be able to make informed management decisions and to improve the situation of trash in the ocean in the East Asian Seas region.”

“Communities can play an important role in preventing waste entering the ocean by keeping rubbish out of catchment areas, waterways and beaches. The Clean Up East Asian Seas Campaign is a great way to bring communities and local stakeholders together,” said Ian Kiernan AO, Chairman and Founder of Clean Up the World.

The Clean Up East Asian Seas Campaign will promote cleanup activities from now up to the Clean Up the World Weekend and Coastal Cleanup Day, which take place during the third weekend of September, along with a Green Fins Photo Contest on the theme ‘Marine Litter, the Sea and the Coast” and a COBSEA Clean Beach Award.

“The COBSEA Clean Beach Award aims to promote collaboration between local governments and coastal communities in managing their beaches to ensure clean, beautiful and safe environments for beach goers as well as coastal ecosystems. The beaches will be selected based on community action and partnership, litter prevention, environmental protection and resource management and environmental quality,” said Dr. Monthip Tabuchanon, Director General, Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand.

The campaign is part of activities under the COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter adopted by COBSEA countries early this year. The Regional Action Plan outlines actions to address the need for enhanced efforts to prevent and mitigate marine litter, increase awareness and strengthen regional cooperation. It also affirms the need for a stronger focus on this issue by governments in the region.

Winners of the COBSEA Clean Beach Awards and the Green Fins Photo Contest will be announced at the 2nd COBSEA Marine Litter Workshop and Cleanup Campaign on 18-20 September 2008 in Pattaya, Thailand.

The Clean Up the East Asian Seas Campaign 2008 is being organized with the Clean Up the World, Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup and Green Fins and is supported by Thai Airways International and Lexus Group, Toyota Motor Thailand Co. Ltd.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Satwant Kaur, Regional Information Officer, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Tel: 02 2882127; Mobile: 0839086000. E-mail: kaur@un.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information on the Clean Up East Asian Seas Campaign, the Green Fins Photo Contest and the COBSEA Clean Beach Awards, please go to: www.cobsea.org/cleanupeas

Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)
The East Asian Seas region has the highest coral reef biodiversity in the world with more than a third of the world’s coral reefs. However, pollution, tourist activities, and destructive fishing have taken their toll on the reefs which are now in critical and threatened condition. In this region, COBSEA is one of the intergovernmental organizations under UNEP that is entrusted to assist member countries in sustaining their marine and coastal resources. The COBSEA secretariat is located in Bangkok, Thailand. www.cobsea.org

The Green Fins Programme 
The “Green Fins” programme was initiated in 2004 by the COBSEA Secretariat. It aims to encourage dive and resort operators, and inadvertently, clients that use their services, to adopt environmentally-friendly practices when diving or snorkeling around coral reefs. The programme offers an avenue through which diving enthusiasts and dive operators can participate in conservation, monitoring, and management of coral reefs by fostering the adoption and practice of environmentally-friendly diving, which in turn will help protect coral reefs. www.greenfins-thailand.org

Clean up the world
Clean Up the World is a community based environmental program that was initiated in Australia in 1993. Now, in its 16th year, Clean Up the World mobilizes an estimated 35 million volunteers from 120 countries annually. The campaign brings together businesses, community groups, schools, governments and individuals in a range of activities and programs that positively improve local environments.
www.cleanuptheworld.org

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup
The Ocean Conservancy is an American-based NGO that promotes healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems and opposes practices that threaten ocean life and human life. Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. In 2007, 378,000 volunteers participated from 76 countries removing six million pounds of trash. The one-day event serves as a global celebration of a year-long effort of preventing trash.
www.oceanconservancy.org/icc

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
UNEP is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. You can find further information on UNEP and its activities at www.unep.org.

UNEP REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples in Asia and the Pacific to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. It works with governments, local authorities as well as industry to develop and implement cleaner and safer policies and strategies that encourages efficient use of natural resources and reduces risks for humans and the environment.
www.roap.unep.org

UNEP ROAP News Release 08/7