With the participation of 50 representatives of different chambers and unions of the fishing industry and students of the Port Administration Technicature, the workshop “Marine plastic waste, a common problem” was held on October 25 in the hall of the Sindicato Unidos Portuarios Argentinos, SUPA (Argentine United Dockworkers Union) of the Port of Rawson. The meeting was jointly organized by the Provincial Port Executing Unit of the Secretariat of Fisheries of Chubut and the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence, within the framework of the Project: Strengthening the Resilience of Argentina’s Marine Protected Areas (MaRes Project).
In a collaboration between the Provincial Port Executing Unit of Chubut and the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence, this workshop was held to strengthen the training of professionals involved in the fishing activity. The main objective of this event was to promote constructive dialogue and the implementation of good practices in waste management, especially plastics, both on board vessels and in ports. It should be noted that this workshop, the second in its series, is part of the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Argentina’s Marine Protected Areas” and is a continuation of the previous meeting held at the National Fishing School in Mar del Plata at the end of August.
The Workshop had the active participation of 50 representatives of different sectors linked to fishing activities that operate mainly in the Port of Rawson, among which were present members of the Association of Artisanal Fishermen of Chubut (APARCh), the Chamber of the Yellow Fleet of Chubut (CAFACh), the Argentine Patagonian Chamber of Fishing Industries (CAPIP), the Argentine Naval Drivers Union (SICONARA), the United Maritime Workers Union (SOMU), the Argentine United Dockworkers Union (SUPA), and students of the University Technicature in Port Administration of the National Technological University (UTN).
A COMMON PROBLEM
Mitigating the entry of plastic waste into the sea requires the articulation and empowerment of the efforts of various actors. The workshop “Marine plastic waste, a common problem” not only seeks to raise awareness and strengthen the capacities of workers in the fishing sector in order to promote the adoption of good practices for the management of plastics and other waste, but also to encourage the exchange of perspectives and knowledge among the main actors.
In Chubut, unlike other coastal areas of Argentina, a large proportion of plastic waste originates from fishing activities. This is evidenced by the results of the census and cleanup programs carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Chubut and the Ministry of Tourism and Protected Areas of Chubut, with the support of the Provincial Secretariat of Fisheries.
Hence the need to articulate actions and understand the problem with a comprehensive and multisectoral approach, involving both onboard and in port activities.
Diego Gonzalez Zevallos, coordinator of the “Reduction of plastic waste from fishing origin” component of the Project, stated that: “this capacity building workshop with the unions and chambers of fishing activities, marked a first meeting point where different sectors expressed their concern about the problem of plastics in the sea and where it was agreed to work together in a dialogue of knowledge and not to go down the path of blame; since the only way to address this environmental complexity is by integrating sectors, generating good links and joining efforts“.
PARTICIPATIVE DYNAMICS
The Workshop was opened by Celia Andrade, Director of Ports of Direct Exploitation of the Secretariat of Fisheries of Chubut, who said: “I firmly believe in the power of shared learning, collaboration and that collective action are the driving forces of change, which is why this initiative is a reflection of the commitment to lead the change in waste management in our port“.
The Workshop had a first block of presentations by the members of the Project “Strengthening the Resilience of Argentina’s Marine Protected Areas”: Julia Guzman from Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVS), Roxana Schteinbarg from the Whale Conservation Institute (ICB) and Diego González Zevallos (CONICET and ICB). In this segment, the participants discussed the problems, their origin, impacts and existing solutions related to possible circular economy strategies, with emphasis on the generation of participatory scenarios for the implementation of coordinated actions among all the sectors involved. Fernando Pegoraro, Undersecretary of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, and Marta Machado, Director of Environmental Programs, also participated and shared the actions within the framework of the Census and Coastal Cleanup Program in Chubut.
During the second block, facilitated by Alexandra Sapoznikow of the Fundación Cambio Democrático (FCD), a group activity was carried out. Through specific slogans related to the management of plastics on board and in ports, stevedores, crew members, ship owners, machinists, sailors and artisanal fishermen contributed ideas and possible solutions based on their experience. Among the most outstanding ones, we can name: Infrastructure on board and in port to improve differentiated waste disposal, informative signage and awareness campaigns, strengthen links with recycling cooperatives and look for local options to generate circular economy circuits in order to take advantage of plastic waste from fishing activity.
“The meeting opened a channel for dialogue that allowed for an exchange of views and for the different actors associated with the fishing activity to understand the challenges of waste management on board and in port. It was a great opportunity to establish links between the organizations of the Forum, the administration of the Port of Rawson and the fishing chambers and unions of the sector, which will allow working in the search for joint solutions to improve the management of fishing waste in the Port of Rawson“, summarized Alexandra Sapoznikow.
COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE
“In the Port as in the Sea, we behave as in our homes“.
This meeting made it possible to build together a valuable conclusion: there is no isolated solution to the challenges we face in the reduction of fishing plastic in the seas, biodiversity conservation and the strengthening of Coastal and Marine Protected Areas (ACMP).
Celia Andrade, Director of Ports of Direct Exploitation of the Secretary of Fisheries of Chubut, at the end of the meeting, said that “it was an extremely enriching and valuable experience. It allowed all participants to broaden our knowledge and share experiences” and added that “addressing this challenge in an effective and sustainable manner is a shared responsibility“: “I firmly believe in the power of collective action to achieve positive and sustainable change in our coasts“.
For his part, Fernando Pegoraro (MAyDS), said: “I consider this meeting very positive to address the problem of plastics at sea, we had the opportunity to hear the first-hand experiences of the fishing sector and what they consider relevant in this discussion. For us as a ministry it helps us enormously to be able to identify key aspects of the day to day functioning of the fishing sector that we honestly did not know about, since we cannot get on the boats. It’s very useful information to develop a joint awareness and action plan.”
Collective resilience becomes a fundamental pillar in this journey. We understand that our actions directly impact vital coastal and marine ecosystems, their richness of life, and ultimately the health and well-being of all. Together, we will continue to work cooperatively to build a more sustainable and secure future for our communities and our environment.