2018 California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and the NOAA Marine Debris Program (NOAA) partnered to develop the 2018 California Ocean Litter Prevention Strategy (Strategy). California Sea Grant facilitated a public participation process that brought together a wide range of stakeholders from across the state through two in-person workshops and two public comment periods. The Strategy was adopted by OPC at its April 2018 meeting. For more information on Strategy implementation click here.

The Strategy acts as a key document for the OPC marine pollution program’s work on ocean litter and plastic pollution, and updates and expands OPC’s 2008 Implementation Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Ocean Litter. Additionally, the Strategy also provides an outline of work that stakeholders can take on to address ocean litter. The infographic to the left provides a high-level summary of the contents of the Strategy, and the links below provide materials from the Strategy development process:

• Agenda from Workshop 1
• Agenda from Workshop 2
• Compiled List of Solution Ideas from Workshop 1
• Participants at Stakeholder Workshops
• Compiled and summarized comments on the first draft of the Strategy
• Compiled and summarized comments on the OPC Priorities Outline
• Compiled and summarized comments on the revised draft of the Strategy

NOAA Marine Debris Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program (MDP) is designated as the U.S. Federal government’s lead for addressing marine debris, with a mission to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris. The MDP works through five main pillars: Removal, Prevention, Research, Regional Coordination, and Emergency Response. MDP staff is positioned across the country in order to support projects and partnerships with state and local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry.

NOAA Marine Debris Program contacts:
Tanya Torres, Tanya.Torres@noaa.gov
Christy Kehoe, Christy.Kehoe@noaa.gov

California Ocean Protection Council

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is a Cabinet-level body within the California Natural Resources Agency, whose mission is to ensure that California maintains healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations. OPC advances science-based strategies through partnerships, funding, and policy to protect coastal and ocean ecosystems in California, and has a long-standing commitment to address ocean litter through its marine pollution program. More information on the OPC is available here: https://opc.ca.gov/about/

OPC contact:
Christine Sur, Water Quality Program Manager
christine.sur@resources.ca.gov