Marine Litter in the Arctic
Marine litter is found even in the most remote parts of the Arctic.
Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic & Sub-Arctic Region: Symposium Summary
Plastic pollution is of ever-growing concern. It is a well-known fact that plastic litter is omnipresent in our environment and the eventual destination for much plastic waste is the oceans. Even in the Arctic region,plastic pollution is widespread. There is now a great urgency for actions to stem the plastic tide. Recently, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a broad negotiating mandate for a new legally binding international agreement to end plastic pollution. The new agreement is expected to include provisions to promote national and international co-operative measures to reduce plastic pollution in the marine environment.
The volume of scientific research and studies into plastic pollution has grown rapidly in the past several decades. It is essential that we take full advantage of the best available knowledge when we look for solutions to tackle this global problem. To that end, Iceland and the Nordic Council of Ministers hosted a successful Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region in March 2021 with participants making a clear call for a follow up.
That call resulted in the Government of Iceland – with the financial support of the Nordic Council of Ministers – hosting the Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region on 22-23 November 2023. The symposium gathered scientific, local and Indigenous knowledge about plastic pollution and discussed methods to reduce the impact of plastics on Arctic ecosystems.
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