Madeira removes more than 14 tonnes of marine litter from beaches and coastal areas

Since 2021, the Regional Government of Madeira, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture (SRTAC) and the Regional Directorate for the Environment and the Sea (DRAM), has collected more than 14 tonnes of marine litter in the archipelago, including Madeira, Porto Santo and the Selvagens Islands. This action is part of the Regional Programme for Monitoring Marine Litter on Beaches, which aims to understand, mitigate and prevent marine pollution.

The interventions are based on three pillars: regular scientific monitoring, technical clean-ups in remote areas and awareness-raising campaigns with volunteers. So far, 14,054 kg of waste have been collected – of which 1,887 kg in scientific campaigns, 6,927 kg in technical clean-ups and 5,240 kg with the help of 3,480 volunteers.

Madeira, due to its location in the North Atlantic, plays a strategic role in detecting transnational marine litter, with plastic waste from Canada, aquaculture from Galicia and fragments from the east coast of the USA having been found. This data reinforces the importance of concerted, scientific approaches to combating marine pollution.

Despite the complexity of the problem, Madeira has marine litter levels below the European average for the OSPAR area, validating the effectiveness of the regional strategy. Regional Secretary Eduardo Jesus emphasised the mission of guaranteeing a cleaner and more sustainable natural heritage for generations to come.

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