Marine Litter. Let’s sort it out.

If you have spent any time on the beach recently you’ll have realised that marine litter has become a big problem. Take a walk and you’ll see the high tide mark littered with all kinds of flotsam and jetsam. The plastics, metals and glass don’t belong there. Some of it comes from shipping, some from fishing and some from sewage outfalls. All of it comes from us and all of it is harmful to the marine environment in one way or another. It can also be harmful to us.

The threat to wildlife

The biggest threats posed by marine litter to animals are entanglement and ingestion. Marine animals see items of plastic and litter and think they are food – so eat them. It can and will kill them. They may also become entangled in items like discarded fishing nets or plastic bags. Not nice. Marine litter can also engulf ecosystems, cause chemical pollution and spoil otherwise pristine environments. Unless we do something about it, it will never go away.

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