Report on the CCAMLR Marine Debris monitoring program: 2018 update

Data from South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and France were received for the 2018 marine debris monitoring season. Debris items collected during beach surveys remain predominantly packaging items and plastics. There is no evidence of an increase in debris at monitored sites, but it remains ubiquitous in the CCAMLR area. Due to the limited scope of submitted data, as well as the difficulty in identifying whether a debris item has originated from fishing or another human activity, the marine debris program will be expanded to include data on gear loss reported from vessels and observers.