Page 16 - IB April 2018

PACIFIC CONVERSATION WITH SPREP

What’s plastic footprint

and is it walking through our ocean?

Did you know?

The planet went from making two million metric tons of plastic in 1950 to 380 million metric tons in 2015.
Of the world’s plastics nine percent is recycled, 12 percent is incinerated and 79 percent accumulates in landfills.
There are at least 51 trillion pieces of micro plastic particles in our ocean, these are small plastic pieces less than 5 mm long.

How much of this ends up in our ocean?

80 percent of the marine debris in the ocean comes from the land – what you do on land impacts our ocean health.
Of the marine debris in our ocean 60 to 95 percent of this is plastic debris.
Each year eight million tonnes of plastic makes its way into our ocean.

Why is this a problem?

50 percent of birds and marine mammal species have eaten plastic.
Plastic can choke, starve, or entangle marine animals.
Research is showing that microplastics are being ingested by fish, fish that are also being ingested by humans.

Why should Pacific islanders care?

As Pacific poet and writer, Epeli Hau’ofa said, . It is at the core of many Pacific island cultures.
featured in songs and legends, and our ancestors navigated the ocean to seek new lands.
Our ocean feeds us, national fish consumption in our island region is as high as ten times the global average.
75 percent of the world’s tuna landings come from the Pacific waters.
47 percent of Pacific households list fishing as either a primary or secondary source of income.

What can I do to reduce my plastic footprint?

Make a personal commitment to say no to plastic: refuse plastic straws or use a reusable bag or box instead of a plastic bag.
Take part in national and global campaigns which are easy to sign on to, such as the International Coastal Cleanup initiative,
the Plastic Free July or the Let’s Do It! World Cleanup campaign.

Support local businesses that promote green plastic free initiatives.

PO Box 240 A resilient Pacific environment sustaining
Apia, Samoa
+685 21929 our livelihoods and natural heritage
sprep@sprep.org
www.sprep.org
16 Islands Business, April 2018