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Marine litter (ML) is a complex though solvable problem with significant implications for the marine and coastal environment and human activities all around the world. It originates from several sources, travels in many paths and finally sinks in different distances from its origin making its wide spectrum of negative environmental, economic, safety, health and cultural impacts highly considerable. Despite efforts made internationally, regionally and nationally, there are indications that the marine litter problem continues to worsen.

Public Participation is stimulated in key international instruments such as the 1998 Aarhus Convention (Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Matters), signed and ratified by many of the Caspian Sea countries, and builds on the requirements of the Commission on Sustainable Development to promote the implementation of Agenda 21 and the follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.  Public participation is required within the Aarhus Convention and is in line with the principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Caspian Sea, world largest lake, is bordered by Azerbaijan Republic, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Republic, Russian Federation and Turkmenistan. Its biodiversity is comprised of 1354 plant, animal and more than 122 fish species. Out of 122 fish species and subspecies living in the Caspian Sea, 40 species are commercial and presently 25 species are the main exploited fish. The Caspian Sea fishes are divided to four main groups, including 53 species Marine fishes (43.5%), 42 species (13.4%) of freshwater origin, 18 species (14.7%) anadromous and 9 species (7.4%) semi-anadromous. At present sturgeons, kilka and Caspian Sea seals are considered as shared stocks between Caspian Sea range states.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and Caspian Environment Programme by supporting of UNDP agreed with NGO "Ruzgyar" to organize of 1st professional level monitoring of POPs in Kura-Araks basin till Caspian Sea. "Ruzgyar" contracted professional environmental research company "Azecolab" to implement of standard sampling and lab analytical processes.