Samoa commits to keep our waters clean and healthy from land-based pollution via river and coastal ecosystem. It was noted that 80% of marine debris is from land-based sources.

A pilot project was carried out during the third global conference for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) held in Apia, Samoa in August/September 2014 which offered an opportunity to highlight the issue of marine debris and also demonstrate best practice measures for effective waste management and minimization of marine debris via the use of marine litter booms and development of waste management infrastructure. Samoa has embraced this project and has imbedded the litter booms into the annual work programme of river and coastal ecosystem monitoring. Follow up awareness programs and enforcement actions to ensure that families living along the rivers and coastal areas in Apia comply with the rehabilitation of any pollution impacts.