Plastic waste in the sea – the challenge of the 21st century

Therefore, solving the problem of “white pollution” at sea is the challenge of the 21st century.

Many sea lions have been rescued in Argentina after becoming trapped in rubbish and fishing nets.

According to Mundo Marino, an organization specializing in the rescue of marine animals, in recent times, the number of sea lions trapped in garbage tends to increase. The source of pollution affecting sea lions and other species is not only marine waste but also human waste left at beaches.

Sergio Rodriguez Heredia, an Argentine biologist, said: “In a way, human actions such as continuous resource extraction, if not handled appropriately, affect marine wildlife in the ocean. long time”.

And sooner or later people will also have to suffer the consequences.

Plastic waste seriously affects marine life. (Photo: AP)

In Greece, within two weeks, divers have picked up more than 23 tons of garbage, including about 20 giant nets on the sea floor. These abandoned nets are also known as ghost nets because they are almost impossible to see underwater and this is a trap that kills many marine animals every year.

According to the report of the International Organization for Conservation of Nature, each year there are about 19 to 23 million tons plastic waste dumped into the sea, most of which is waste from single-use plastic products. This type of waste accounts for 60% of the causes of marine pollution, although more and more countries are taking action to ban or limit this type of product.

88% of the marine species it studies are affected by very severe plastic pollution.

Plastic waste is found in both the most remote and primitive regions of the Earth, such as the Arctic ice, and in fish that inhabit the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench.

The report also predicts that plastic production will double by 2040, causing the amount of plastic waste in the ocean to quadruple.

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