{"id":13995,"date":"2021-07-13T14:16:39","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T14:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=13995"},"modified":"2021-12-01T12:38:51","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:38:51","slug":"plastic-pollution-represents-a-real-danger-for-our-oceans-the-numbers-speak-for-themselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/blogs\/13995\/plastic-pollution-represents-a-real-danger-for-our-oceans-the-numbers-speak-for-themselves\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic pollution represents a real danger for our oceans: The numbers speak for themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Greenpeace Africa Oceans Campaigner Awa Traor\u00e9 during a beach clean-up in Dakar, Senegal<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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TELL SA TO SUPPORT GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)<\/a>, alongside climate change and biodiversity loss, pollution is part of the triple planetary crisis the world now faces. Every year, <\/a>humans produce 300 million tonnes of plastic waste<\/a>, including 11 million tonnes that eventually wind up in the ocean<\/a> – an amount that is projected to nearly triple by 2040 without urgent, large-scale action.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Ninety-nine per cent of plastic is the product of chemicals derived from dirty, non-renewable sources. Most of it never really disappears. Instead, it becomes smaller, with particles being swallowed by fish or farm animals and eventually consumed by humans in their food and tap water. Nonetheless, plastic continues to grow in popularity, with production increasing by more than 22 times in the last 50 years. By 2050, the plastic industry could account for 20 percent of the world\u2019s total oil consumption<\/a>. Plastic pollution could also make up 13 percent of the total global carbon budget. <\/p>\n\n

Scientists have also documented 700 marine species affected by ocean plastic. Up to 9 of 10 seabirds<\/a>, 1 in 3 sea turtles<\/a> and more than half of whale and dolphin species have ingested plastic. In the African context, with nearly 120,000 tonnes of plastic that the Nile and Niger rivers carry to the depths of the oceans, making them major contributors to ocean pollution (Nile 84,792 tonnes \/ Niger 35,196 tonnes).<\/p>\n\n

Enough key numbers among others to show the magnitude of the plastic crisis we need to move away from.<\/p>\n\n

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Plastic pollution surrounds a traditional Senegalese fishing boat on a beach in Dakar.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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How Plastic finds its way into the oceans <\/h2>\n\n

About 80% of the debris comes from land-based activities<\/a>. The remaining 20%  comes from boaters, offshore oil rigs, and large cargo ships that dump or loose debris directly into the water. <\/p>\n\n

Plastics make up the majority of marine debris for two reasons. First, plastic\u2019s durability, low cost, and malleability mean that it\u2019s being used in more and more consumer and industrial products. Second, plastic goods do not biodegrade but instead break down into smaller pieces. Most of this debris comes from plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.<\/p>\n\n

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Fatou Samba, a woman processor, leader and activist in Bargny, a fishing community in the suburb of Dakar.<\/em>
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Plastic pollution threatens the food security, livelihoods, and job security of coastal fishing communities from developing countries<\/h2>\n\n

The ocean makes life on earth possible, helping to regulate our climate, providing the main source of protein for more than a billion people and generating much of the oxygen we breathe. Marine litter and plastic pollution pose an existential threat to ocean health. Therefore, the loss of habitats and biodiversity increasingly affects the ability of the ocean to provide food and other services.<\/p>\n\n

Along the West African coast, we already suffer from overfishing, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), overexploitation of small pelagic stocks, tonnage fraud, the problem of fishmeal factories, etc. It is unthinkable to let the issue of plastic pollution continue to take on disproportionate proportions.<\/p>\n\n

This situation already threatens the livelihoods of millions of lives in West Africa and the job security of our fishmongers, which comprises fishermen and brave female fish processors, who are making a living from the revenue earned. <\/p>\n\n

For a country like Senegal whose first sector to provide foreign currency is the fishing sector, it is imperative to tackle the problem of marine pollution by this plastic waste, especially since fish covers about 70% of the needs in animal proteins of the Senegalese population, that is to say an annual consumption of fish per capita of 29.9 kilograms.<\/p>\n\n

It is really time to turn the tide.<\/p>\n\n

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Nurdle clean-up after a spill<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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The impacts of microplastics on human health <\/h2>\n\n

Previous researches haven\u2019t found the exact effect of microplastic consumption. It is important to remember that the field of microplastics research is in its infancy. Uncertainties and knowledge gaps make it difficult to be conclusive about the impact that microplastics may have on seafood, on the marine environment or on human health. <\/p>\n\n

Until we have definite answers as to the impact that microplastics may have, it is prudent to apply the precautionary principle. <\/p>\n\n

However, according to a joint research made on commercial salt brands by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and Greenpeace, adults could take up to approximately 32,000 pieces of microplastics annually via air inhalation, drinking tap water and bivalve ingestion and this amount is not negligible. <\/p>\n\n

Despite concluding that microplastics in seafood do not currently represent a human health risk, a report published by The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2016 highlighted major knowledge gaps in understanding of the fate and toxicity of microplastics, as well as noting the potential for microplastics to act as surfaces for the transport and dispersal of pathogens relevant to human diseases.<\/p>\n\n

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A post shared by Greenpeace Africa (@greenpeaceafrica)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>