Hanoi (VNA) – A marine dialogue on internationalcooperation towards tackling plastic waste in the East Sea took place in Hanoion January 16.

The event was co-organised by the Diplomacy Academy ofVietnam, the Australian Embassy, and the German-based Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung(KAS) Foundation.

At the dialogue, Professor Carmen Ablan Lagman from thePhilippines’ De La Salle University, with 20 years of experience in the field,pointed to single-use plastics and industries such as cosmetics, oil refinery,and tyre manufacturing as sources of microbeads.

She said plastic waste in different forms can exist for atleast 100 years, posing serious health risks for humankind.

According to the professor, alongside the rising rate of plasticpollution in ASEAN, the well-being of local people is under threat as theirconsumption of seafood is three times higher than those living in Westerncountries.   

She urged regional nations to make specific moves inaddressing single-use plastics, and industries and businesses which producemicrobeads to work with governments in effectively treating the waste.

If countries share their waste treatment technologies,particularly recycling, the issue of marine plastic pollution is likely to beimproved, she suggested.

Gilang Kembara from the Indonesian Centre for Strategic andInternational Studies said the nation has made a commitment to cutting plasticwaste by 2025, but has yet to issue any specific policies.

Underscoring the importance of raising public awareness ofplastic pollution at sea and the effects of the daily use of plastic products,he said pressure from key people and localities could force the government to makeregulations on plastic use.

Considering marine plastic waste a global problem, Dr. JulyusMelvin Mobilik from Malaysia said no country can handle the matter alone andthat they need to coordinate common measures to make a real difference.

In the short term, replacement options for single-useplastic items – like bags, cups, and straws – are necessary, he advised, addingthat nations should devise suitable policies to encourage firms to developtechnologies that could shorten the lifespan of plastic waste.

Dr. Nguyen Le Tuan, Director of the Sea and Island ResearchInstitute under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, highlightedVietnam’s two laws concerning plastic waste, namely the Law on EnvironmentalProtection and the Law on Sea and Island Natural Resources and Environment. Thecountry has also issued a strategy on the sustainable development of Vietnam’smarine economy by 2030 with a vision towards 2045, he added.

He recommended that each country in the region come up withsuitable action plans and prepare resources to tackle the issue.

Scientists have estimated that the weight of marine plasticwaste will be higher than that of fish in the sea by 2050. –VNA