Marine Life

Marine Debris: Plastic Pollution and Animal Welfare

Marine plastic pollution harms millions of animals annually through entanglement, ingestion, and ghost fishing — one of the most pervasive human-caused welfare harms to wildlife.

Key Facts

Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean each year
Over 700 species of marine wildlife have been documented to ingest or become entangled in plastic
Ghost fishing — abandoned nets continuing to catch animals — kills an estimated 136,000 seals and cetaceans annually
Microplastics have been found in virtually every marine animal sampled globally
Seabirds feed plastic to chicks — causing starvation as stomachs fill with indigestible material

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement causes drowning, strangulation, limb loss, and chronic wounds. Ingestion of plastic causes starvation through false satiation, internal injury from sharp fragments, and chemical toxicity from plastic additives. Ghost net entanglement causes exhaustion, drowning, or starvation over days. The welfare scale is enormous and largely invisible to humans on land.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption and support extended producer responsibility legislation
Participate in coastal and river clean-up events
Support Ghost Gear Initiative and equipment marking programs to prevent ghost fishing
Donate to Ocean Conservancy and Surfrider Foundation marine debris prevention campaigns