The European Commission launched the Campaign “World Aquariums Against Marine Litter”. The campaign is an EU contribution to the #CleanSeas Campaign and designed to raise awareness on marine plastic litter ahead of  “Our Ocean Conference” (October 2017). Almost one hundred aquariums across 5 continents joined the Campaign.

As a result of its success, the Campaign is transformed into a formal commitment announced by the EU Commission, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco and UNEP .

This coalition of Aquarium is called “World Aquariums Against Plastic Pollution” (for ease of use, we now refer to the coalition as the Aquaria coalition) . The aquariums that are part of the coalition organise permanent activities in their facilities and are invited to change their procurement policies with regards to single use plastic products. The announcement of the “World Aquariums Against Plastic Pollution” followed the overwhelming vote in the European Parliament on the Commission’s proposal to ban certain single use plastics by 2021. 

The coalition is strong of 212 aquariums in 41 countries. In March, the European Parliament sealed the ban on single use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers by 2021.

Handover ceremony of the “World Aquariums Against Plastic Pollution” Campaign to the Oceanographic Insitute of Monaco and to UNEP. The coordination of the campaign is to be hosted under the Clean Seas Campaign.