Venizelos L.
The Mediterranean shores are shared by both people, as well as many marine organisms.
Once clean, free of pollutants and tourism, there is now a steadily increasing
coastline population of over 300 million and a huge tourist industry. Garbage is becoming
a major threat to this fragile ecosystem, not least because the waters of this beautiful
enclosed sea change only after at least 100 years. MEDASSET’s campaign for 1997
namely "Now you see it, Now you don’t" refers to the "small
garbage" impact on marine species.
Every year millions of marine animals die worldwide, due to many types of pollution.
But it is the small personal pieces of garbage, casually discarded on the beach, which are
often the most damaging. One of the most common and destructive substances is plastic.
Plastic packaging is used in a wide range of products, due to its strength, versatility,
germ resistance and low cost. But its low cost of production is paid for dearly, by the
catastrophic impact it has on the environment.
Firstly, common plastics take some 450 years to degrade, thus persisting as a threat
for a long time. Secondly, due to the wide range of the plastic shapes, sizes and colours,
species are apt to mistake these items for food. A transparent plastic bag in the water,
looks very similar to a jellyfish (the favourite food of many sea turtles) resulting, in
either the blockage of the digestive track or the suffocation of the turtle, once the bag
has been ingested. It has been discovered that one marine mammal had 50 such bags in its
stomach.
Plastics, constitute some 75% of all ‘recreational’ waste found on beaches.
All of it is harmful. Plastic bottle caps, straws, string and security tabs are all
swallowed by sea turtles along with plastic pens and cups, which can break into small
harmful pieces and have been found accumulated in animal stomachs in large quantities.
Many plastics contain harmful organochloride compounds, such as PCB’s, which once
ingested, can damage reproduction and the animals’ ability to resist disease. These
substances remain in the body so that when the animal is eaten, the plastics are passed on
up the food chain and can be found in predators, such as seals and dolphins, who are
affected the most. Plastics also maintain air bubbles and prevent turtles diving
successfully for their food.
In addition to these plastics there are even smaller items which cause equal amounts of
damage. Plastic and foil sweet wrappers, amongst others, can be consumed in mistake for
small fish or small Crustaceans. Once in the animal’s gut they will accumulate there
and although the animal feels full, in reality it is dying of hunger.
All these items only represent a fraction of what is dumped without thought by beach
users, in addition to all the above problems, many items are washed up on the beaches
through illegal dumping, by fishing fleets, cruise liners and the Navy. Obviously little
can be done about the past, but there is now an opportunity for all of us to have a
radical reappraisal of our garbage problem. Even small changes in our attitudes and habits
can improve our environment for future generations.