Plastic – not so fantastic

Forest and Bird, Volume 18, Issue 1, 1 February 1987, Page 6

Plastic – not so fantastic

Take a walk around any of our coasts, especially close to major cities, and you will be sure to see one of the prime scourges of our modern consumer society — plastic debris. This appears in a variety of forms from plastic granules, polythene films and bags, detergent and other containers, chunks of polystyrene, lost or discarded monofilament and polypropylene fishing nets and floats, to synthetic strappings and ropes. Our awareness of the dangers posed by plastic has been raised by Fisheries Research Division scientists Martin Cawthorn (a biologist) and Robert Mattlin (fisheries), who have documented a number of cases where plastic has harmed birds and sea mammals. In one instance a juvenile minke whale died near Wellington and was discovered to have had a polythene bag in its oesophagus. The scientists also report on fur seals seen with plastic strapping around their necks. Late last year a visiting American scientist, John Twiss, said that as many as 50,000 fur seals a year were being lost through becoming entangled in such rubbish, and anywhere between 300,000 and 700,000 seabirds a year were being killed. This issue has placed the Society in a dilemma over the packaging of its magazine. A shift was made to plastic wrapping because it keeps the magazine in better condition, especially in rain, and because it is a good deal cheaper than manilla. If you feel strongly about this matter, please write to the Editor at PO Box 631, Wellington, with your views.