Wild Animals

Marine Plastic Pollution and Wildlife Welfare

Plastic pollution in oceans causes mass suffering through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat degradation.

Key Facts

An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans annually
Over 700 species have been affected by plastic pollution including seabirds, fish, and marine mammals
Ghost fishing gear (lost nets) kills an estimated 640,000 tonnes of marine life per year
Microplastics have been found in the tissues of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals globally
Seabirds that feed their chicks plastic have drastically reduced chick survival rates

Welfare Considerations

Marine plastic pollution causes immense, largely invisible animal suffering. Entanglement in fishing gear causes slow strangulation; ingested plastic causes starvation from false satiety; microplastics accumulate in tissues and disrupt physiology. Reducing plastic production and improving waste management are urgent welfare as well as environmental imperatives.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption in your daily life
Participate in beach and waterway clean-up events
Support extended producer responsibility for plastic packaging
Advocate for stronger policies to reduce plastic production at source
Support organisations working to retrieve ghost fishing gear from oceans