3 March 2026, Port Vila - The negative impact of marine litter on the environment and the health of provinces and communities remains a critical concern for Vanuatu.
Recent studies show that 97% of fish in the Pacific contain plastic in their stomach, which is a major concern, especially for countries such as Vanuatu, where the main source of protein comes from the ocean, Mr Sam Judd, of Sustainable Coastlines, highlighted.
Mr Judd highlighted the point in Port Vila last week where the Vanuatu Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), through Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific – Phase 2 (SWAP-2), conducted a Marine Litter Training to raise the understanding of the impacts of marine litter.
The first session, delivered on 24 February 2026 at the Ministry of Climate Change, brought together 20 representatives from various stakeholders, including the French Embassy and the French Development Agency, VAIKO, the Vanuatu Association of Sports And National Olympic Committee (VASANOC), Port Vila City Council, V-Organic, and the Vanuatu National Youth Council (VNYC). The second session took place in Mele Village with more than thirty participants from the local community.
Ms Taina from Mele Community shared: “I am very happy that you came here to teach us something, because we did not know that plastic could contain substances that may cause illnesses. Now that you have explained the problem to us, we will also make sure to dispose of plastic waste properly by putting it in the bins so it can be taken to the landfill.’
The training consisted of both theory and practical components. During the first session, participants travelled to Ifira Point to conduct a beach survey, while the second session included a field activity on Back Sand Beach in Mele Village. The waste they collected was later audited as part of the training, and uploaded on the Litter Intelligence, a free-access online platform developed by Sustainable Coastlines
Ms Julie Pillet, Senior Project Officer for SWAP-2, said the data from the audit supports the development and implementation of actions at the local, national, and regional level to address marine litter.
“For example, when we conducted the first survey campaign at Ifira Point Beach here in Port Vila in May 2023, we collected around 3,500 fiberglass fragments, and additional pieces were also found on Ifira Island,” Ms Pillet said.
“On our way back through the port, we identified a pile of the same material stored uncovered on the ground. This illustrates how data collected in a specific area can provide evidence that action is needed to ensure proper storage.”
Although the situation has improved, a further 141 fiberglass fragments were still collected and audited during the recent survey at Ifira Point.
Marine litter, primarily plastics, severely impacts Vanuatu by threatening marine biodiversity, damaging coral reefs, and risking food security through toxic ingestion in the food chain. It causes economic damage to fisheries and tourism, with studies identifying high levels of plastic fragments on beaches.
Funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the SWAP-2 project aims to improve sanitation, environmental, social, and economic conditions in Pacific Island and Territories through proper waste management and focuses on three waste streams; disaster waste, marine litter and used oil.
The work in Port Vila this week is part of SPREP’s ongoing support to Vanuatu. In 2024, beach clean ups in Efate tackled marine litter at three key locations, Ifira Point Beach, Ifira Island Pauni Beach and Etmat Bay. Community members from these areas together with DEPC and SWAP collected 4,119 items accounting for 47 kilogrammes of waste.
“The main objective of the SWAP project and the work we do is to better understand the marine litter problem in order to address, or at least contribute to its reduction,” said Ms Pillet. “To achieve this, the first step is to collect data on marine litter.
“Once the data is collected and analysed, the goal is to support the development and implementation of actions at the local, national, and regional levels. This multi-level approach is essential, as we are all interconnected and affected by this issue.”
Ms Pillet acknowledged the work of DEPC and VIAKO in facilitating the training this week, and Sustainable Coastlines for their continuous support to the SWAP Project since 2023.
ABOUT SWAP
SWAP2 contributes to the goals of the Cleaner Pacific Strategy by improving waste infrastructure, building capacity and fostering regional collaboration.
The nine SWAP Pacific islands are Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.
The Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific – Phase 2 (SWAP2) Project is funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) https://www.afd.fr and executed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) www.sprep.org
For further information please visit: https://swap.sprep.org /.or contact Ms. Julie Pillet, SWAP Project Manager, at juliep@sprep.org