The impacts of marine debris
At an event August 2nd hosted by the Vancouver Aquarium and featuring researchers Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins from the 5 Gyres Institute, I learned that plastic is finding its way into the stomachs of a myriad of creatures in the farthest reaches of the ocean. From small forage fish eating bits of broken down plastic, to the overstuffed stomach of a sea turtle, to Albatrosses swallowing whole lighters, plastic seems to be everywhere.
Sadly, our rivers have been carrying plastic litter down to the sea. Once at sea the plastic gets caught in ocean currents where it breaks down into smaller bits and accumulates just below the surface of the water, especially in the 5 large ocean gyres. According to National Geographic‘s encyclopedia, an ocean gyre is a circular ocean current formed by the Earth’s wind patterns and the forces created by the rotation of the planet.
Markus and Anna described sailing the seas in an effort to document how widespread the problem is, as well as the potential health consequences of plastic entering the food chain. Luckily, they also highlighted some actions that can be taken to fix the problem: reducing personal use of plastic, encouraging your city or province to enact a fee on plastic bags or pass other legislation to limit plastic use; advocating Extended Producer Responsibility mechanisms to make producers internalize the full cost of producing plastic. The amazing Recycling Council of BC, one of the pioneers in this field and active since 1974, has a great collection of EPR resources.
Anna blogged about another solution: biodegradable plastic. What if all plastic was made NOT to last in the ocean for decades?
The suggestions were appreciated by an audience that consisted largely of site coordinators for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. As local champions on the frontlines of reducing garbage entering Canada’s waterways, they were appreciative of ideas about how to cut down on waste.
If you are looking for something to do on this issue, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a great place to start. Happening from September 17th until the 25th all across Canada, there is sure to be a cleanup at beach near you. Or you can start your own! So come out and help keep our oceans and coast garbage and plastic free.
