Plastic in oceans will triple within seven years, scientists warn
Ben Webster, Oceans Correspondent
March 21 2018, 12:01am, The Times
Asia
Politics
Plastic
in the ocean is projected to triple by 2025, threatening marine life
and possibly human health, according to the government’s scientific
advisers.
More than 70 per cent of marine litter is
plastic and there is “extensive evidence that entanglement in, or
ingestion of, plastics can cause injury and death to a wide range of
marine organisms”, the Future of the Sea report found. The total
amount of plastic debris in the ocean is forecast to rise from 50
million tonnes in 2015 to 150 million tonnes by 2025.
Britain is
responsible for about 0.2 per cent of the 4.8-12.7 million tonnes
entering the ocean each year, according to a review of scientific
evidence conducted for the report. Separate research last year found
that 90 per cent of the plastic entering the ocean came from ten rivers in Asia and Africa.
Bacteria such as E. coli can
accumulate on plastic litter in coastal waters and increase the risk of
infections, the report warns. People could become infected by bathing
in the sea, visiting beaches containing contaminated plastic litter or
eating shellfish which have consumed tiny pieces of plastic. There is no
evidence that microplastic particles in seafood are a risk to human
health, the report found. Plastic in the ocean is described as an
important issue “but not necessarily the greatest threat”, with other
sources of marine pollution such as toxic chemicals and metals
potentially posing a bigger risk.
Crabs exported from Britain to
China have been contaminated with cadmium, which is emitted by
industrial processes and can damage human kidneys and bones. Seafood can
also be contaminated by perfluorinated compounds, industrial pollutants
that disrupt hormones.
The report, published by the Government Office for Science, recommends
focusing on preventing plastic from entering the ocean and introducing
bio- degradable varieties. “We should minimise the amount of plastic,
both macroplastic and microplastic, going into the marine environment,
to make sure that if there are toxic effects, those are being dealt
with,” said Ian Boyd, chief scientific adviser for the Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The
report also urges ministers to capitalise on Britain’s maritime
tradition by exploiting opportunities such as the opening of the Arctic
to shipping as sea ice shrinks. It says that by 2050, ships could take
10 or 12 fewer days to travel between east Asia and Britain by routes
north of Russia that are 2,000 miles shorter than via the Suez Canal.
Aberdeen and other east coast ports could “take advantage of increased
traffic”. It also urges Britain to play a leading role in developing
autonomous cargo ships, which could be in use by 2035.
Britain is
also urged to use its experience in offshore oil and gas extraction to
mine the seabed for metals used in batteries and phones. The industry
could be worth £40 billion to Britain over the next 30 years, the report
says, with British companies already involved in a project in the
northeast Pacific. The UK was urged to help to ensure that regulations
are in place to stop mining damaging habitats.
The International
Seabed Authority has allotted a 10,000 sq km area of the Mid-Atlantic
ridge to Poland to explore for mining. The area contains a site of
scientific interest known as the Lost City because of its tall white
columns of calcium carbonate.
The report concludes by saying: “As
we leave the EU, this provides the opportunity to put the sea at the
heart of the new ‘Global Britain’ agenda . . . there is a significant
prize up for grabs.”
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