Published : Aug 07,
2013 Last modified : Aug 07, 2013 02:51
PM
Increasing amounts of litter are ending
up in the world’s oceans and harming the
health of ecosystems, killing animals when
they become trapped or swallow the litter.
Human health is also at risk, as plastics
may break down into smaller pieces that
may subsequently end up in our food. These
are just a few of the problems emerging
from the waste collecting in our seas.
There are now vast patches
of litter and smaller plastic particles
funnelled together by ocean currents in
all oceans. The patch in the Pacific is
the size of Europe according to some estimates,
while there is also a smaller but significant
patch right on Europe’s doorstep in the
Atlantic. Marine litter also accumulates
in coastal areas, either on the sea bottom
or on beaches when washed ashore. See the
EEA's infographic on marine litter.
World leaders increasingly
recognise the scale of the problem, and
at the 2012 Rio Earth Summit they committed
to “a significant reduction in marine litter
by 2025”. The European Marine Strategy Framework
Directive, which aims for seas to reach
‘good environmental status’ by 2020, recognises
marine litter as one of the main threats
to the marine environment alongside fisheries,
pollution, invasive alien species and noise.
The European Environment
Agency (EEA) will consider marine litter
in its forthcoming assessment of the state
of the marine environment, to be published
in autumn 2014.
Poisoning and ‘ghost
fishing’
Fish, birds and other
sea creatures also swallow pieces of litter
which can eventually kill them – globally
at least 43 % of cetacean species, all species
of marine turtles, approximately 36 % of
the world’s seabird species and many species
of fish have been reported to ingest marine
litter. Animals can also become trapped
in discarded nets or other rubbish. Around
10 % of the litter in the world’s oceans
is discarded fishing gear, which continues
to catch fish – a phenomenon known as ‘ghost
fishing’.
Most of the litter in
the sea is plastic, for example plastic
bags, bottles, bottle caps and Styrofoam,
mainly as a result of our current consumer
habits where plastic packaging has increased
dramatically. Part of the problem arises
from the fact that these materials never
biodegrade but are instead only partially
degraded by sunlight. Together with the
movement of the waves, this breaks the plastic
into ever smaller pieces.
An emerging problem
is caused by the way these ‘microplastics’
can accumulate harmful chemicals such as
persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from
the sea. When these are concentrated on
a tiny piece of plastic, swallowing it can
be deadly for some marine organisms. These
small plastic particles also become part
of the beach. For example, some studies
have found many types of plastic to be commonplace
in the sediment on the British coastline.
And it’s not just wildlife
that is affected by marine litter. It can
eventually enter the human food chain, when
microplastics are ingested by fish or shellfish
which may subsequently be eaten by people.
Researchers are currently looking into this
emerging potential health risk.
There are also economic
costs of this pollution, from beach cleaning
to ruined fishing gear, from reduced tourism
to fouled ship propellers. Such costs are
set to grow as litter concentrations continue
to increase in some areas.
Poor waste management
and careless littering on land are two of
the main causes of the problem, as waste
is discharged into the sea via rivers or
sewerage pipes, or washed into the sea by
the wind and rain. Waste from cargo ships,
cruise liners and fishing boats also often
ends up in the ocean.
A cleaner sea
Because a large part
of marine litter is consumer waste, educating
people on its effects could significantly
reduce the waste going into the sea, according
to several studies. Shops should also take
on some of the responsibility, for example
making it easier for customers to return
bottles or phasing out single-use plastic
bags. The waste management industry also
has a part to play in more effectively collecting
and processing litter which would otherwise
end up in the sea.
Next year the EEA will
launch ‘Marine LitterWatch’, a new mobile
phone app for conservation groups and other
‘citizen scientists’ to log and report the
amount of litter they find on the beach.
This information will help the EEA understand
this growing problem and also provide data
to support better policy implementation.
Litter is not the only
problem affecting Europe’s beaches. Untreated
sewage and animal manure from farms also
finds its way into the sea, which can be
a risk to human health. To assess this problem,
the EEA collates data on bacteria levels
from more than 22 000 beaches across Europe.
In 2012 the bathing water quality was generally
very good, with approximately 94 % meeting
the minimum standard. You can find out more
about the water quality at your local beach
by zooming into this map.
