Hayadan > The biggest "predator" in the oceans

The biggest "predator" in the oceans

Although the media is helping to create awareness and change attitudes towards plastic, the amount of pollution in the oceans continues to rise and as a result the number of marine species at risk of extinction is increasing. The danger is great and therefore urgent and effective action is needed to stop it

A display illustrating the danger to animals in the sea as a result of the plastic waste that fills the sea, at the Natural History Museum of Berlin. Photo: Avi Blizovsky

Much has already been written about the dangerous pollution we create and spread. Today, plastic pollution is the biggest threat to life in the sea, approxAbout 15 million tons of plastic are thrown into the oceans per year, the causes ofWidespread killing of marine creatures and seabirds.
Although the media is helping to create awareness and change attitudes towards plastic, the amount of pollution in the oceans continues to rise and as a result the number of marine species at risk of extinction is increasing. The danger is great and therefore urgent and effective action is needed to stop it.

Where does the plastic come from?

About 80% of the pollution of the seas comes from the land: garbage that is scattered in open areas, inefficient disposal of types of garbage such as wet wipes, sanitary bandages, cotton swabs and much more. Although in large parts of the world attention is drawn to the issue of the amount of garbage that reaches the sea, the amount of garbage is still increasing and according to It is estimated that every minute there is an amount of plastic equivalent to the contents of a large truck.

The remaining 20% of plastic comes from activities in the ocean such as leftover traps, wires and cables from the fishing industry or garbage that is thrown from ships directly into the sea.

It is estimated that there are today About five trillion plastic particles floating around the oceans and the amount is growing at a rapid rate. According to the World Economic Forum, if the trend is not stopped immediately, thenBy 2050 there will be more plastic in days than fish.

What will this situation do to marine life?

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are already 700 species whose existence is endangered by plastic. Many animals die of suffocation due to entanglement in fishing gear, bags or pieces of plastic. Also, the chemicals that make up the plastic, such as petroleum and bisphenol, poison the animals and pose a risk of death.

The plastic breaks down into tiny particles, called microplastic, and many of the tiny creatures in the sea make the mistake of eating those tiny pieces. The toxins are released in the digestive systems and absorbed by the body's systems. Due to the presence of the toxins, the reproductive and immune systems are damaged, an injury that causes the creatures that absorbed the plastic to have difficulties in reproduction and a high sensitivity to diseases and inflammations, which creates damage to the population. The damage is dangerous and difficult especially for marine predators that are at the top of the food chain and as a result The concentrations of toxins in their bodies increase,
Toxins that are eaten by small creatures such as plankton or crustaceans and are absorbed into their body tissues, are transferred through the food chain in a process called "trophic transfer", as they go up the chain, the concentration of toxins increases. Scientists have tested 50 animals that rely on nutrition from the sea: polar bears, dolphins, whales and seals stranded on the beaches and microplastics were found in all of them. Microplastic particles have been found in people who eat seafood. It was found that every European who eats seafood Also absorbs about 11,000 plastic particles per year.

The food chain is integrated with carrion eaters and microorganisms that break down carrion and return the nutrients to the water and soil. From the soil, the microplastic particles penetrate into drinking water and plants. Plants are eaten by humans with the contamination, plants are also eaten by farm animals and this is how the toxins get to the meat and milk. Recently, microplastic particles have been detected in human breast milk.

Plastic pollution is the creation of humanity and as such will not disappear by itself. To eliminate pollution, it is necessary to stop the production and consumption of the polluting product and above all to stop the use of single-use plastic products.

Much of the power to do this is in the hands of the manufacturers, therefore they are the ones who must take responsibility from understanding the problem (or hence laws and regulations) and find alternatives to pollution. But the consumer at the end of the system also has the possibility to influence, even if on a smaller scale, by stopping the use of plastic and encouraging others to do so. It is not an easy task since almost every product purchased is wrapped in plastic, but it is appropriate to start making changes whenever possible. Many care products contain microplastics, it is appropriate to purchase only those that clearly do not contain the pollutant. Today there are substitutes for many plastic products such as bamboo, corn, rice, etc. and it is right to check and use them. There are organizations that work to clean the beaches, it is worth joining them or simply collecting plastic every time you visit the beach.

We do have a regulation that is supposed to moderate the consumption of plastic, but it only concerns thin "shirt-bags" and is only applied in some of the large supermarkets. In every store and in every business, pharmacy or kiosk, the plastic continues to be distributed, which thanks to the use of the consumers ends up not only in landfill sites, but is distributed and flies all over the environment. Recently, a regulation was amended in Eilat that should prohibit the use of disposable utensils on the beaches, but again the enforcement, if there is any, will not prevent the residents of the beach from arriving with disposable utensils from home and distributing them.

The solution may be difficult to implement, but it is necessary and applicable - the cessation of production and distribution. As with many environmental pollution problems, so here too, the solution is originally a ban on the production and distribution of disposable utensils, and also a ban on the sale and use of most types of plastic. The ban will remove the pollution from the stores and subsequently from the marine and terrestrial environment. In addition to the regulations prohibiting the scattering of garbage, and in order to prevent the continuation of the deadly pollution, there is a vital and immediate need for public education and strict enforcement of the regulations.

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