Are you engaged with the sea? Live from It? Or simply passionate about its endless blue depths? An increasing amount of marine litter is floating in the Adriatic, and plastic pollution is endangering the life of the Adriatic Sea and its shores. To seek solutions to this serious issue, experts from Croatia and Italy, representatives from institutions, NGOs, and youth gathered in Split from November 4–6 for the three-day Marine Litter-Free Tides of Change conference. Their goal was clear: showcase best practices and design joint solutions to restore and protect the beautiful but increasingly vulnerable ecosystem of the Adriatic Sea from further marine litter pollution.
Preventing waste as a solution
The Marine Litter-Free Tides of Change conference, organized by the Sunce Association, was marked by inspiring words from Sunce’s Director, Gabrijela Medunić-Orlić:
– When you really open your eyes and look around, the situation in both the sea and on land is quite bad, and joint efforts are needed to solve the problem. The key lies in waste management, and at this conference, we focused on the first priority—waste prevention. Achieving this goal is tough, as evident from events in Split filled with single-use products. Much more needs to be said about waste prevention, and much effort is required to influence citizens, youth, and local institutions. It’s up to us to change things, whether individually or through institutions, – stated Medunić-Orlić.
Can Split host public events without single-use plastic?
Recently, the City of Split banned single-use plastic from its council meetings, which is a positive step, according to Danijela Šegvić, head of the City of Split’s Environmental Protection Department, who emphasized the importance of green policies.
– Split wants to be a green city. Faced with the problem of single-use plastic, it’s crucial to reduce its use through the adoption of new technologies, policy development, education, and raising awareness, – said Šegvić.
Sunce supports these efforts and hopes that this year’s Split Advent season will finally set an example of best practices.
– Although single-use plastic was prohibited in the tenders last year, the Advent event was still full of single-use plastic and paper waste. Citizens reported breaches of the SUP Directive from across Split’s Advent and summer events, and the Ministry was informed about all of it. We sincerely hope we won’t have to monitor the same thing this year, – emphasized Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić the project manager of the ML-FREE Interreg project, under which this conference was organized along with the Plastic-Free Croatian Island project.
Participants in the Marine Litter-Free Tides of Change conference, organized by Sunce, had the opportunity to hear a series of extremely useful presentations. The program began with introductory presentations on the Interreg program, the Dalmatian Islands Environment Foundation (DIEF), and the ML-FREE and Plastic-Free Croatian Island projects.
During the first session, Frédérique Mongodin from the Seas at Risk network discussed the poor implementation of the SUP Directive in Croatia and the European Union, while Ana Žmire from Croatia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition outlined ambitious implementation deadlines. The real situation regarding the SUP Directive’s implementation, or lack thereof, was illustrated by an analysis of single-use plastic usage in the tourism sector on Dugi Otok. Karin Dubsky from Ireland’s Coastwatch shared similar but inspiring experiences of citizen science monitoring of the directive’s enforcement in Ireland.
Addressing marine litter: why action matters now
In a session dedicated to marine litter, PhD Pero Tutman from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries provided insights into marine litter issues in the Adriatic, while PhD Mirta Smodlaka Tanković from the Ruđer Bošković Institute spoke about the concerning impact of microplastics. Matea Taraš from Sunce presented data analyses collected during clean-up campaigns, and Sylvain Petit from SMILO shared experiences from the Remedies project on small islands in the EU-Med region. Marjan Žitnik from Maritimo Recycling introduced innovative machines and products made entirely from marine litter, and Dejan Kosić from the Association Obala also presented solutions.
You can watch all these lectures on recordings available on the Sunce association’s Facebook Live channel.
Panelists in the session Importance of Multi-Sector and International Cooperation for Addressing Marine Litter, including Pero Tutman, Sylvain Petit, Frédérique Mongodin, Dejan Kosić, Valentina Andrić from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Administration, and Marin Miletić from the Interreg Joint Secretariat, agreed on the need for better collaboration and understanding of this issue.
A key takeaway from the panel was the importance of tracking and documenting all beach clean-up activities. It was recommended that all data on beach clean-ups be entered into the system of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries and the EU platform to precisely track types of marine litter. This will enable a better understanding of specific marine litter issues and create a foundation for advocating legislative change.
Education and youth engagement for marine conservation
The second part of the conference focused on youth and their role in environmental conservation. The ML-FREE project, co-funded by the EU within the Interreg cross-border cooperation program Italy-Croatia, aims to address the pressing issue of marine litter, particularly plastic pollution, in the Adriatic Sea. Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić from Sunce presented an educational program developed under the ML-FREE project, followed by Anita Kružičević from the Split School of Economics and Administration and Federica Appiotti from Venice’s IIS Marco Polo-Liceo Artistico, who shared their schools’ experiences with the project.
– I was especially impressed by the statement of one of our students, will our beaches be plastic instead of sandy in a hundred years? – said Kružičević.
– Focusing on education and engagement of young people, we strive to encourage a sustainable society that actively participates in the preservation of the marine ecosystem, – said Kuzmičić Rosandić.
Lovorka Bačić from the Center for Peace Studies presented the SKOCKANO quality assurance system for educational programs, which ensures high standards in non-formal education and guarantees the long-term impact of educational activities.
– By introducing qualitative standards, we enable young people to acquire relevant skills and become agents of change in their community, – Bačić concluded.
A panel discussion Implementing Environmental and Nature Protection Education Programs in Formal Education gathered Anita Kružičević from the Split School of Economics and Administration, Dafne Vlahović and Marijana DeMarchi from the Split Maritime School, and Zrinka Banić from Brda Elementary School. The panelists discussed the challenges in implementing ecological programs in schools and ways to link environmental topics to sustainable business practices.
Practical activities to engage youth
Later in the day, the panel Importance of Multi-Sector Collaboration to Empower Youth in Nature and Environmental Protection brought together experts from various sectors, including Margita Radman from the Sunce Association, Filip Prelec from the Vis Archipelago Geopark, Meri Juras from Kamen Šine Elementary School, and Sanja Pešić from Josip Pupačić Elementary School in Omiš.
One key conclusion from these panels was that motivating young people to participate in ecological projects is challenging without parental support. Parents play a crucial role, noted many present experts, as their involvement is essential to keep young people motivated and active in conserving our planet. Participants emphasized the importance of continuing the implementation of educational programs, such as those in schools, which allow young people to actively participate in ecological initiatives and become agents of change.
In the session Examples of Best Practices in Multi-Sector Collaboration, speakers shared specific examples of a participatory approach to environmental education with youth.
Martina Talajić from Sunce Association emphasized with concrete examples how practical activities and field lessons make learning fun and engaging, and children in such projects more easily understand the importance of environmental protection. Lana Schmidt from Vis Archipelago Geopark shared her experience working with schools, where children learned about geological heritage, conservation of natural resources, and sustainable tourism through various activities. PhD Dubravka Bojanić Varezić from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split showed how young researchers can directly participate in the work of scientists, thereby encouraging their understanding of the importance of marine conservation. At the end of the session, Josip Boban from the More and Krš Public Institution spoke about their projects that involve children in coastal and marine environment protection activities.
Strengthening partnerships, education, and practical action for the future of the Adriatic Sea
As all experts at the conference emphasized, young people best absorb knowledge when they are outdoors, “getting their hands dirty,” moving, and learning through play. The last day of the conference was spent outdoors, allowing for interactive learning and experience sharing.
– We left the conference room, and, enjoying the sun and fresh air, we got to know each other better through a participatory process led by Igor Spetić from Youth in Focus, working on plans for new projects and collaborations. The exchange of experiences, ideas, and strategic guidelines allowed for a better understanding of both the challenges and opportunities ahead. The conference was an opportunity to connect with colleagues, share best practices, and lay the foundation for future joint projects – concluded Margita Radman, head of Sunce’s Education and Information Department, who led this part of the conference together with Spetič.
The conclusion from all attendees was clear: You should have been at this conference!
