Marine Plastic Pollution and Wildlife Welfare

Marine plastic pollution causes welfare harm to hundreds of marine species through ingestion, entanglement, and ghost fishing, with the scale of the problem requiring both immediate cleanup and urgent reduction in plastic production.

Key Facts

An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean annually from land-based and marine sources
Over 700 marine species have been documented affected by plastic pollution through ingestion or entanglement
Ghost fishing from lost or abandoned fishing gear continues to trap and kill marine life indefinitely
Microplastics are ingested by filter feeders and accumulate through food chains affecting diverse wildlife
Seabirds including albatrosses feed plastic to chicks causing starvation through false satiation

Welfare Considerations

Marine plastic pollution causes diverse and significant welfare harm to marine wildlife. Entanglement in plastic debris including fishing gear, plastic rings, and discarded netting causes injury, drowning, and prolonged suffering. Plastic ingestion causes gastrointestinal blockage, false satiation leading to starvation, and potentially toxic effects from chemicals associated with plastics. Ghost fishing gear continues killing animals long after abandonment. Chick mortality from plastic-fed by parents represents acute welfare suffering at population scale in some seabird species.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption and advocate for systemic reduction in plastic production
Participate in beach and waterway cleanups that remove plastic from the marine environment
Advocate for extended producer responsibility that makes manufacturers accountable for plastic waste
Support organizations including Ocean Conservancy working on marine plastic pollution solutions
Choose products from companies with genuine plastic reduction commitments across their supply chains