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48 / MONACO’S ACTIONS TO PROTECT THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

“During our Mediterranean expedition in 2014, we took 300 samples:
all of them contained plastic”

Romain Troublé, managing director of the Tara Expeditions Foundation

BEMED REWARDS 11 LOCAL INITIATIVES
The fight against plastic

pollution in the Mediterranean

Eleven local initiatives selected in BeMed’s call for projects

in June, 2016 were honoured on March 30 in Monaco during
th
Monaco Ocean Week for their action in the fight against plastic

pollution in the Mediterranean.

Plastic has invaded our daily lives but also our BeMed launched a call for micro-projects to finan-
rivers, seas and oceans, with devastating environ- cially support local initiatives working to reduce
mental impacts on the entire marine ecosystem. plastic pollution throughout the Mediterranean
Practically indestructible, plastic pollutes the seas basin. Over time, the Task Force aims to deve-
in the form of microspheres and nanoparticles. It lop a tight network of Mediterranean NGOs, lo-
is ingested by marine life, thus poisoning it, and cal communities, small private-sector actors and
alters seawater quality, reducing its oxygen pro- scientific institutions working in the field. Eleven
duction. In view of this alarming fact, the Prince projects from Greece, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Alba-
Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Tara Expe- nia, Lebanon, Tunisia and Montenegro were reco-
ditions Foundation, Surfrider Foundation Europe, gnized on March 30th, 2017, in the presence of
the Mava Foundation and the IUCN joined to- H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco during Monaco
gether to form the “Beyond Plastic Med” (BeMed) Ocean Week.
Task Force in order to raise awareness and mobi-
lize civil society around concrete actions to trans-
form production and consumption habits.