Marine Animals

Wild Seabird Plastic Ingestion Impacts

Plastic pollution in marine environments causes widespread harm to seabirds through ingestion, entanglement, and feeding of plastic to chicks.

Key Facts

Over 90% of seabirds globally are estimated to have ingested plastic
Plastic debris reduces stomach capacity, causing false satiation
Toxic chemicals leach from ingested plastics into seabird tissues
Parent birds feed plastic debris to chicks, causing chick starvation
Shearwaters, petrels, and albatrosses are among the most severely affected

Welfare Considerations

Plastic ingestion causes slow starvation, internal injury, and toxic contamination in seabirds. This is a global welfare crisis driven by plastic production and inadequate waste management. Individual birds die painful and preventable deaths.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption
Support extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging
Participate in beach and coastal clean-up events