From a press release from the UK Ministry of Justice: Plastic and litter will be removed by offenders wearing high-visibility jackets emblazoned with “Community Payback” on beaches up-and-down the country, as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean. The Probation Service has partnered with several major organisations with a focus on […]
Marine mammals mistakenly eat plastic debris items such as plastic bags, food wrappers, ropes and abandoned fishing gear, or they become entangled in plastic items including fishing nets. Both scenarios can lead to injury and, in many cases, death. Now a recent US study has revealed that marine mammals face a more subtle plastic threat: microplastics. In the ocean, microplastics […]
The second high-level round of negotiations organised by the United Nations on the way to achieving a global treaty against plastic pollution are underway in Paris. The meeting aims to lay the groundwork for the “Zero Draft” of the proposed treaty text, and therefore provides a critical opportunity to engage stakeholder organisations with ministers and […]
A United Nations report highlights the opportunities the ocean holds and charts a course to sustainably use marine resources. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Trade and Environment Review 2023, published on 8 May, analyses the world’s ocean economy – worth an estimated $3-6 trillion – and assesses how human activity and multiple […]
Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has reached “unprecedented levels” over the past 15 years, a new study has found, calling for a legally binding international treaty to stop the harmful waste. Ocean plastic pollution is a persistent problem around the globe — animals may become entangled in larger pieces of plastic like fishing nets, or […]
New research now shows that seabirds are suffering from a plastic-induced illness named ‘plasticosis’, the Natural History Museum has said. Rather than being caused by viruses or bacteria, ‘plasticosis’ is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract. Over time, persistent inflammation causes tissues to become scarred and deformed, with knock-on effects on growth, digestion […]
Single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates and trays are to be banned in England in a bid to reduce pollution, the government has confirmed. Plastic items relating to takeaway food and drink, including food containers and cutlery, make up the largest share of litter in the world’s oceans, according to research, the Guardian has reported. Now the […]
People in Scotland believe sewage and chemical pollution pose the biggest threat to the health of our seas, according to new research. The opinion poll, conducted by Survation on behalf of the environmental coalition Scottish Environment LINK, also found high levels of public concern over litter and the impact of climate change on our seas. […]