Call For Action To Protect Sea Life From Plastic Litter
September 12, 2008
The Prince of Wales has expressed his deep concern for the threat posed to marine life from increasing levels of plastic litter at sea and on the shore. At a reception to celebrate the Marine Conservation Society’s 25th Anniversary His Royal Highness, President of the Society, highlighted plastic litter as one of the key threats to marine life in the 21st Century.
The Prince went on to highlight one of the key challenges of this century - plastic waste - a form of pollution on the increase on UK beaches and in seas around the world.
One of the birds most badly affected is the albatross, a bird for which The Prince developed a close affection whilst in the Royal Navy, when they would fly next to his ship every day. These magnificent birds are being found dead with their stomachs almost full to bursting with plastic litter of all kinds. Two of Britain’s native breeding seabirds, the northern gannet and northern fulmar are equally threatened, as is the UK’s largest marine reptile, the leatherback turtle. At the reception HRH was shown the plastic contents extracted from the stomach of one such turtle that was found washed up dead in Scotland.