Increasing plastic pollution in the oceans
Recently, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has issued a warning about the unprecedented increase of plastic pollution in the oceans.
The World Wildlife Fund has released a report titled “Impacts of plastic pollution in the oceans on marine species, biodiversity and ecosystems”.
This report has been prepared in collaboration with Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute. It measures the impact of plastic and micro-plastics in the ocean.
Key findings of the report:
- 88 percent of marine species have been affected by severe plastic contamination in the ocean.
- Plastic production will double by 2040. This will increase the amount of plastic waste in the ocean by four times.
- The most threatened marine areas are the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the Arctic Ocean Glacier and the Mediterranean. These regions have already reached their maximum limits of carrying micro-plastics.
- Plastic pollution has entered the seafood chain. It is now affecting marine ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves.
Negative effects of plastics:
- Being trapped in it: It causes respiratory obstruction, wounds, obstruction of movement and death.
- Swallowing by animals: damage to internal organs, problem in taking food etc.
- Smothering: This deprives corals, sponges and deep-dwelling creatures of light, food, and oxygen.
- Chemical pollution: It is a cause of endocrine disruptors, chronic organic pollutants etc.
This report calls on countries around the world to adopt a global treaty on plastics. This treaty should be binding and ambitious. At the same time, countries should insist on adopting a common standard of action.
Steps taken to prevent plastic pollution:
- United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030: It calls for action to ‘conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources’ (Goal 14).
- Single-use plastic has been banned to make India free from single-use plastic by the year 2022.
- India is a signatory to MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution). Apart from this, action is also taken for the prevention of marine pollution through the Merchant Shipping Rules, 2009. These rules have been made under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
Source – The Hindu
