Plastic represents 95% of the waste in Mediterranean waters and on its beaches today, threatening not only over 130 different marine species which are known to have ingested plastic but also fishing and human health, according to an alarming new report published by WWF on Friday 8 June to coincide with World Oceans Day.
WWF calls on EU member states to act swiftly to implement the legislation proposed by the European Commission as part of the EU plastics strategy (see EUROPE 12029) and on all countries of the world to support global action at the UN for a global challenge.
“It is urgent to address plastic waste and marine litter in European seas and the Mediterranean presents an especially critical example. As we’ve seen with the Commission’s recently released proposal on restricting single-use plastic, authorities are now taking action on plastic waste; but if this action fails to be ambitious enough or occur quickly enough, the harmful impacts to wildlife and European fisheries will continue to escalate”, said Dr Samantha Burgess, Head of Marine Policy at WWF European Policy Office.
The report, “Out of the Plastic Trap: Saving the Mediterranean from plastic pollution”, reveals that 150,000-500,000 tonnes of plastics and 70,000-130,000 tonnes of microplastics are dumped in Europe’s waters every year, with the majority of these entering the Mediterranean, where the level of concentration is 1.25 million fragments per square kilometre. The EU fishing fleet currently suffers an estimated annual economic loss of €61.7 million due to reduced catches and damage to vessels resulting from plastic pollution. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)