Скачать или смотреть Saving a fish from Ocean Plastic Waste

While hiking on a coastal trail, one of our group spotted a fish fingerling stuck in a plastic ring, and example of how ocean plastic waste can threaten the well being of marine fauna. The ring was lodged over the fishes gills. In an attempt to catch the fish to remove the plastic ring, it initially would roll over and remain upside down for a few seconds. Eventually, due to its rapid swimming, the ring dislodged and the fish swam free.
What was pertinent about this incident, is that it occurred where a slick of microplastics frequently wash up on the shoreline, especially after rainfall which results in a flood pulse flushing plastic pollution in the catchment area down the rivers and into the ocean.
While this incident highlights the risk of plastic pollution, the great threat to marine fauna is in the ingestion of microplastics while feeding.
75% of rescued turtle hatchlings that strand on beach in the Western Cape pass microplastics in their feces in the first 48 hours while in rehabilitation. At times, the amount of plastic pollutions can be close to 50% of their body weight.