Tara Expeditions and UfM Secretariat team up to tackle pollution and human impact on the Mediterranean

Barcelona, 23 October 2014 – As part of the Tara Mediterranean Expedition’s stop-over in Barcelona, the UfM Secretariat and Tara jointly organised a seminar of experts to discuss the human impact and pollution in the Mediterranean. The seminar, which took place at the UfM headquarters at Palau de Pedralbes, falls in line with the UfM priority actions on depollution.

Key local institutions, civil society actors and education-oriented as well as international organisations (including ECNC Land and Sea Group, ENT Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation) evaluated the current state of Mediterranean pollution and debated strategies to raise awareness amongst policy makers.

The meeting also examined how best to shape contributions to the summary and recommendations booklet “Livre Bleu de Tara Méditerranée” (“Blue Book of Tara Mediterranean Expedition”), which will be presented to relevant stakeholders in March 2015 during a conference in Monaco.

Participants further discussed with partner institutions and stakeholders about the United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled for 2015 in Paris, France. The conference will be crucial to determining the future agenda on climate-related action for the Mediterranean region.

The Tara Mediterranean Expedition is sailing across the Mediterranean Sea to collect scientific data while exhibiting findings and holding discussions with local audiences during stopovers along the route. Tara’s institutional partners include UNEP/MAP, Plan Bleu and the RMC Water Agency, as well as private companies such as Le Monde and Veolia.

The current mission took sail in May and will circumnavigate the Mediterranean until November 2014, working towards two main objectives: to accomplish a scientific study concerning plastic pollution, and to promote awareness on environmental challenges in the Mediterranean region. During stopovers, the expedition highlights its recent visits to Beirut, Lebanon and Tangier, Morocco.

The Tara schooner is docked at Moll de la Fusta in the old port of Barcelona and will be open to the public from Friday to Sunday for free guided visits.