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Lethal food: Plastic waste in the oceans
Oil spills such as that in the Gulf of Mexico poison maritime regions for decades. There are other materials that also contaminate the oceans-- tonnes of plastic bags, styrofoam waste or old fishing nets. In the North Sea alone there is an estimated 600,000 cubic metres of waste on and in the ocean floor. The majority of North Sea waste comes from ships and the fishing industry, but rivers and tourism are also sources of input to the oceans. A great many marine organisms are put in immediate danger. “It is high time to put effective strategies in place to counteract the waste accumulation in oceans,” demanded Jochen Flasbarth, President of the Federal Environment Agency, on the occasion of European Maritime Day on 20 May 2010. read more
