ACT4LITTER brought together some 35 MPA managers and marine litter experts in the first meeting of the associated partners, held in Barcelona on the 2nd and 3rd of October 2017. This was a great opportunity for the ACT4LITTER operational partners to introduce the associated partners to the project activities and to fully involve them in the project.

During the two-day meeting the participants shared their views and experiences on the marine litter threat, got acquainted with the ACT4LITTER project activities and the state-of-play of the related legislative frameworks. In breakout and plenary sessions the participants reviewed and discussed the initial list of marine litter measures that have already been mapped by the project, as well as the methodological approach for developing the decision-making tool that will be piloted in at least 10 selected Mediterranean MPAs.

Associated partners play a crucial role in the ACT4LITTER as their involvement will be catalytic towards delivering well-targeted, effective and applicable solutions to tackle marine litter in Med MPAs. Their next opportunity to meet and intensively network on the issue of marine litter as well as further contribute to enriching and strengthening the project actions will be the first ACT4LITTER conference organized in Izola (Slovenia) on the 28th of November 2017.