LATVIA – Culture news
The results of this year’s marine pollution monitoring show a critical situation with the amount of waste pollution. This year the Majori beach in Jūrmala city was declared the most polluted beach in Latvia, while Kaltene beach was the cleanest.
Although this year’s «Mana Jura» sea pollution monitoring results are generally not encouraging, they are still slightly better than last year’s results in 2022 there is an average of 229 waste units per 100 metres of coastline, while in 2021, 266 waste units were detected. In general, the average amount of coastal waste in Latvia from 2011 to 2022 is 210 waste units per 100 metres.
In 2022, the biggest polluters are still various difficult to identify plastics, which make up 28% of all waste types on the coast, followed by plastic bags at 8%. This is followed by paper and cardboard, uncategorised waste (including coal), cigarette butts, Styrofoam (insulation and packaging), plastic rope, metal, food waste, plastic bottle caps and corks. Together, these common wastes account for 77% of the total waste, and it should be noted that the six most popular types of waste are plastic waste.
The cleanest beach this year is Kaltene beach in the Talsi district (36 litter units per 100 meters), followed by Engure (38 units) and Mazirbe (43 units). Abragciems (45 pieces) is in a similar situation, followed by Ziemupes beach, Lilaste beach, Purciems, Ritabulli, Lauču amens, Salacgrīva, Jūrmālciems, Mērsrags and Škėde – on these beaches the amount of waste does not exceed 100 pieces per 100 metres.
The most polluted beach this year was Majori beach in Jurmala with 1152 litter units per 100 metres. Daugavgrivas beach (745 units), Vecaki (629 units), Klapkalnciems (514 units), Lielupe beach (443 units) and Liepaja central beach (411 units) are also on the list of the dirtiest beaches. Under 300 units of waste antitope beaches continue in Karosta, Zvejniekciems, Saulkrasti, Jurkalne, Bernata, Oviši, Pavilosta, Ventspils central beach, Večemu klintis, Užava, Robeža, Pape lighthouse, Kolka and Jaunķemeri.
The action and expedition «My Sea» is organised and conducted by the Environmental Education Foundation. The 2022 «Mana Jura» monitoring programme was implemented to give an insight into the coastal waste situation in Latvia after the end of the season and at the end of the season to determine the situation on the coast.
