A researcher from the CIM-UVigo participates in the scientific-technical conference Mares Circulares to fight against marine rubbish

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Ricardo Beiras, Professor of Ecology and member of the CIM-UVigo, analysed the impact of plastic pollution on marine fauna

‘Mares Circulares Scientific and Technical Conference’s third edition is the first collaboration between the University of Vigo and Coca Cola, but it will not be the last, as the details of a collaboration agreement between the two institutions are being finalised. The signing of this agreement will reinforce the joint promotion of activities to raise awareness, disseminate and launch different initiatives related to the fight against marine litter.

The meeting place was the Redeiras building. More than 60 participants gathered there, to which were added another thirty people who followed the conference online through UVigoTv. Previously, at 07.00 in the morning, part of the group had already participated in a visit to the fish market and Vigo’s fishing port.

The presentation of the Mares Circulares project was given by María Troncoso, communications manager for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Iberia, who emphasised that this initiative has been involving different institutions and organisations, both in Spain and Portugal, for more than three years, with the common objective of reducing the impact of human activity on the coasts and moving from linear to circular production. The most urgent is, Troncoso explained, the collection of rubbish in the sea, but this is not the only one, it is also about raising awareness in society to recycle and contribute to the development of solutions to the problem of marine pollution, both by supporting scientific studies that go along these lines and starp-ups that promote the circular economy.

Strong presence of UVigo researchers in the conference programme

The conference programme kicked off with the participation of Rubén Rodríguez, from Asociación Vertidos Cero, who gave a talk on Marine Litter, a view from the fishing sector. This was followed by Antonio Castro, from the Chelonia Association, who focused on the monitoring of marine litter in coastal areas. This first block of presentations ended with the intervention of two representatives of the Sustainability Department of the Port Authority of Vigo, who made a small sketch of the Blue Growth strategy of Vigo’s Port.

The second block of talks began with the intervention of Ricardo Beiras, Professor of Ecology at the University of Vigo and member of the CIM-UVigo, who gave an analysis of the impact of plastic pollution on marine fauna. On the other hand, Pilar Piñeiro and Ángeles Pariente, lecturers in the area of Marketing and Business Organisation at UVigo, analysed the importance of teaching the concept of sustainability and the sea as an engine of innovation and entrepreneurship processes, respectively.

As examples of entrepreneurship and innovation arising from the sea, also UVigo professor Julio Garrido presented the research project ‘Reutilización de Plásticos’ for obtaining spare parts on board ships. The second block was closed by Mónica Figueroa (EnergyLab), who delved into the Revaluation of marine waste for energy extraction, and Jose Ignacio Peleteiro (ECOPLAS Barbanza), winner of the last edition of the annual Mares Circulares competition, who presented the project ‘Fabricación de envases biodegradables e compostables para os  sectores pesqueiro, marisqueiro e acuícola’.

The research activity of the CIM is supported by Xunta de Galicia and the European Union, through its co-financing under the Galicia ERDF Operational Programme 2014-2020.

Source: DUVI