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連江縣海漂廢棄物大部分都是中國漂洋過海而來的

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馬祖沙灘經常出現大量來自中國的海洋廢棄物，當地民眾表示，至少30年前在馬祖各島沙灘上，就能看到大量來自中國的海漂垃圾，更讓淨灘成為馬祖民眾的日常。圖為馬祖南竿仁愛村民眾晚間清除岸際垃圾。中央社記者潘欣彤攝 113年4月24日

（中央社記者潘欣彤連江24日電）馬祖沙灘經常有大量來自中國大陸的海洋廢棄物，海漂垃圾約占馬祖廢棄物15%，淨灘成為馬祖民眾的日常活動。連江縣府下月將赴中國大陸協調，盼將海漂垃圾還給中國大陸處理。

夜晚的南竿仁愛村鐵板沙灘，一群民眾正賣力清理垃圾、稻桿、保麗龍等，而散落在沙灘的寶特瓶，瓶身上的標籤印的是大陸知名品牌，而馬祖列島與中國福建閩江口僅距離54海浬。當地民眾表示，至少30年前，馬祖各島的沙灘，就能看到大量來自中國大陸的海漂垃圾。

鐵板社區發展協會理事長李金梅對中央社記者說，當地民眾已經習慣與海漂垃圾共處。馬祖的社區發展協會大多會固定認養沙灘，並向環資局申請計畫補助。以仁愛村鐵板沙灘為例，多的時候每個月清理達8次，集合大家力量，努力維持沙灘整潔。

根據連江縣環境資源局統計，112年度全縣清除的海洋廢棄物為888.5公噸，而一般廢棄物產生量則為6092公噸。等於全島約15%的廢棄物來自海漂垃圾。

連江縣環境資源局長陳忠義今天接受中央社記者訪問指出，海洋廢棄物大多來自中國，因其中含有多種雜質、礦物質無法直接進焚化爐焚燒，故收集後需先在馬祖當地處理，先分類出資源類垃圾後，剩餘廢棄物自然曝曬至少1年，若分解為可由焚化爐焚燒的廢棄物。則併為一般廢棄物運至台灣本島的垃圾焚化爐處理。

陳忠義指出，但部分海洋廢棄物經自然曝曬一年後，仍無法自然分解，只能繼續堆放於馬祖各鄉的垃圾掩埋場。

陳忠義說，近年中國地區環保意識逐漸抬頭，過去中國漁民常用的保麗龍浮球等，容易造成海洋巨大危害的廢棄物，近年大幅減少。

陳忠義也強調，海洋廢棄物為馬祖長期以來的問題，每年均拜會中國福建省政府共商解決辦法，下個月於福州舉辦的海峽兩岸經貿交易會期間，連江縣府也將與中方協調，希望將海漂垃圾中的資源回收物，由連江縣政府初步處理壓縮後，請對岸運回處理。（編輯：林恕暉）1130424

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馬祖15%廢棄物為海漂垃圾 連江縣府盼還給對岸【獨家】 | 生活 | 中央社 CNA

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馬祖沙灘經常有大量來自中國大陸的海洋廢棄物，海漂垃圾約占馬祖廢棄物15%，淨灘成為馬祖民眾的日常活動。連江縣府下月將赴中國大陸協調，盼將海漂垃圾還給中國大陸處理。

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由於海風和洋流的關係，讓各地的海漂廢棄物飄到澎湖潮間帶地區。

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澎湖能見人的海灘只剩５％ 海灣成「海洋廢棄物聯合國」 | 上下游新聞

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2012年11月12日，澎湖以「台灣澎湖灣」的名義，正式加入「世界最美麗海灣組織」。2015年年初，澎湖縣政府爭取到2018年國際年會的主辦權，預計將有三十多個海灣國家或地區，組團到澎湖開會交流。

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俄羅斯堪察加邊疆區堪察加半島

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俄羅斯堪察加邊疆區堪察加半島

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俄羅斯堪察加邊疆區堪察加半島

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海水中的有毒物質超標，可能是人為毒廢水傾倒或者自然火山活動等

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俄羅斯又發生環境災難！堪察加大量海中生物離奇死亡

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俄羅斯堪察加半島海域海面上漂浮黃色泡沫、散發令人不適的化學氣味、海中大量動物屍體沖刷上岸。 當地潛水員與綠色和平調查員先後抵達現場，在海底與海灘均發現大量海洋生物屍體，估計多達95%海洋生物當場死亡，不少衝浪者表示，下水後出現身體不適、噁心等症狀

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光是亞州站的海洋垃圾占比就有80%

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遠見雜誌 - 前進的動力

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日前在泰國（Thailand）南部，一隻鯨魚的死亡引發了全國哀悼了痛苦，牠死亡時，體內被發現至少誤食了超過85個塑膠袋垃圾；而瀕臨絕種的江豚、短吻海豚，也多次在泰國發現吃進塑膠的狀況。

英國（UK）潛水員在印尼（Indonesia）度假勝地峇里島，拍攝一段漂浮大量海底垃圾的影片在網路上瘋傳，畫面中甚至有魚被困在塑膠袋中掙扎；而在印度（India）孟買，死亡的鯨魚被海浪拍打上岸，伴隨屍體而來的，是堆滿沙灘的塑料。

回到台灣，今年在高雄，有三隻虎鯨在港內迷航，在引導救援後不幸死亡，更令人心痛的，是在解剖研判死因之時，研究團隊在其中一隻最瘦小的母虎鯨胃內，發現了高達18個塑膠袋充斥其中，小小的胃內卻被完全無法消化的塑膠填滿，人類不斷製造垃圾產生的後果，就是無辜的動物悲憤且無奈的犧牲。

全球80％的大海塑膠垃圾來自亞洲

這些接二連三迸發的事件，引發了塑膠垃圾對全球環境災難的震怒， 《nikkei》 報導，在世界上所有的塑膠垃圾中，共有超過80％的來源產生於亞洲，但在這些國家，卻對海洋的保護與努力十分有限。

在一份2017年的報告中，海洋保護協會（Ocean Conservancy）調查發現，印尼、中國（China）、菲律賓（Philippines）、泰國和越南（Vietnam）製造的海洋垃圾，遠比世界上其它地區產生的垃圾來得多上好幾倍。

《科學》（Science）雜誌也在一份調查報告中，將斯里蘭卡（Sri Lanka）和馬來西亞（Malaysia）列為全球最嚴重的塑膠汙染國；國際自然保護聯盟（IUCN）更強調，「世界上超過1／4的海洋塑膠廢棄物，可能只來自10條河流，而這其中有8條在亞洲。」

東南亞國家經濟飛馳　但處理塑膠垃圾能力有限

研究專家表示，每年有800萬至1300萬噸塑膠垃圾被倒入全球海洋環境，聯合國（UN）更發現，東南亞已經出現了世界上最快的經濟成長率，但相對的塑料也不斷增長，消費能耐已遠超過廢棄物管理所能承擔的上限。

這些塑膠垃圾，大部分是寶特瓶、塑膠袋、吸管、飲料罐、牙刷等──垃圾由當地政府處理，但在未開發國家，它們相對在處理垃圾的資金十分不足，對於如何正確回收的概念也缺乏，甚至，垃圾掩埋場也沒有系統化的管理。

專家分析，隨著暴雨和颱風、土石流的肆虐，這些垃圾很容易便被沖刷而去，最終順著河流來到大海。

塑膠袋的發明與人們缺乏概念的使用習慣，是造成塑膠袋隨處可見的弊病。調查發現，平均新加坡（Singapore）人一天會使用13個塑袋、整個城市一天會消耗掉220萬根塑膠吸管；泰國人一天會使用8個塑膠袋，但因為人口多，僅僅在曼谷，一週就有5億個塑膠袋被消耗。

然而事實上，美國（USA）人和歐洲人平均使用的塑膠量比亞洲人還來得多，但回收的效率和普及程度，卻遠比其它國家來得有效。

海洋塑膠垃圾成了環境最大災難

專家強調，海洋中的塑膠已經多到可以環繞地球400多圈之劇，這種不可破壞的物質會擾亂食物鏈的每一層，如果我們的海洋無法正常運轉，它將無法支持魚類族群、藻類或是浮游生物，進而無法吸收二氧化碳來保護我們免於全球暖化的問題，這所牽涉的層面是整個地球的悲劇。

事實上，塑膠需要500至1000年的時間才能分解，這意味著幾乎所有的塑膠製品都以某種形式存在，它的負荷污染了我們的水域，並殺死了海洋野生動物；關鍵在於，儘管世界每年製造的塑料愈來愈多，但只有約5％的產品能夠得到有效回收。

環保團體艾倫麥克阿瑟基金會（Ellen MacArthur Foundation）也研究發現，全球每年生產3億噸塑料，其中有500萬到1300萬噸的塑膠垃圾碎屑漂散到海洋中，進而被海鳥、魚類和其他生物攝入。可怕的是，預估到了2050年，大海中塑膠的重量，會比魚的重量還重。而隨著食物鏈不斷累積，最後將這些塑膠吃進肚子的，還是人類自己。

科學家們最近也估算出，吃海鮮的人，每年會多攝取約1萬1000個塑膠碎片；在英國捕獲的所有魚類中，就有超過1／3魚種體內含有塑膠，包含鱈魚、鮭魚和貝類。可怕的是，塑料廢物在環境中普遍存在，更成了某一種地質指標。

減少使用是唯一解方

使用塑膠的好處雖然是方便耐用，也替生活帶來了許許多多的變革──在醫界，塑膠更成了重要的元素──但它優點正也成了它最大的問題，如果要找到最好替代塑膠的用品，玻璃、紙或鋁的製造再利用非常重要。

研究人員強調，回收利用並不能防止塑料廢物對環境的影響，它只是延遲進入垃圾掩埋場或自然環境。

「永久消除塑料廢物的唯一辦法是將其燒毀或融化，但有毒物質氣體產生是個大問題，而且燃燒速度也比不上生產速度，因此，消費者更應該盡可能的使用塑膠製品到極致，而不是隨隨便便就丟棄。」

圖片來源： nikkei

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遠見天下文化出版股份有限公司

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大海正在窒息！全球海漂塑膠垃圾80％來自亞洲 | 遠見雜誌

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日前在泰國（Thailand）南部，一隻鯨魚的死亡引發了全國哀悼了痛苦，牠死亡時，體內被發現至少誤食了超過85個塑膠袋垃圾；而瀕臨絕種的江豚、短吻海豚，也多次在泰國發現吃進塑膠的狀況。 ...

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南非誇祖魯-納塔爾省的寬闊沙灘綿延約 600 公里，南非更大的海洋垃圾危機的一部分。每年，有90,000 至 250,000 噸垃圾進入該國周圍的海洋。這些海洋垃圾會損壞船舶引擎和螺旋槳。它被漁網和其他捕魚設備纏住。它趕走了遊客。它經常被鳥類、哺乳動物和魚類攝入，導致它們窒息或生病。它可以進入人類食物鏈。

南非環境、林業和漁業部專案經理亞茲德·彼得森 (Yazeed Petersen) 表示，正在考慮的一種可能性是「交換商店」的想法，社區成員可以用可回收垃圾換取生活必需品。 “將這些商店納入該計畫將進一步鼓勵社區參與垃圾收集。”

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The coast of South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province looks like it was pulled from a postcard, with wide, sandy beaches stretching for some 600 kilometres. International and local tourists flock here in normal times, drawn to the warm Indian Ocean waters for surfing, relaxation, and glimpses of spectacular wildlife, like loggerhead turtles.

But heavy rains can transform this beautiful coast in a flash. Downpours accelerate the flow of polluted upstream rivers, sending their litter cascading into the sea, including around the city of Durban. After a storm, heaps of plastic bags and bottles pile up on Durban’s shores with the current transporting some rubbish hundreds of kilometers down the coast.

What’s happening to Kwazulu-Natal’s beaches is part of a larger marine litter crisis in South Africa. Every year, between 90,000 and 250,000 tonnes of rubbish enter the oceans that surround the country. This marine litter can damage ship engines and propellers. It becomes entangled in nets and other fishing equipment. It drives away tourists. It’s often ingested by birds, mammals, and fish, causing them to choke or become sick. And it can find its way into the human food chain.

Plastic clogs Cuttings Beach near Durban. Every year, up to 250,000 tonnes of litter is dumped into the oceans around South Africa. Photo by Lisa Guastella

But just where is all this waste coming from?

“Eighty per cent of marine litter originates on land, mediated through flash floods and river inputs,” said Jared Bosire, Project Manager with the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Regional Seas Programme. “Therefore, if we want a clean ocean, we must change our behavior on shore and link the solution to the source, which is upstream.”

A new project driven by the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries aims to do exactly that. The department is joining forces with local officials, non-profit groups, like Coastwatch and Durban Green Corridors, and Plastics SA, a privately-owned company, to stem the flow of marine litter in five river systems in Kwazulu-Natal. Through increased litter collection and community-led waste sorting and recycling, the department will reduce litter generation at its source, thereby lessening the amount of pollution that reaches the ocean.

Litter booms, barriers that collect floating debris, will be installed in the uMngeni, uMlazi, uMbilo, uMhlatuzana, and aManzimnyama rivers. Communities will help clean out the booms on a daily basis during the two-year project. The booms have the added benefit of trapping invasive species, like the exotic water hyacinth, before they take root in waterways.

“If we want a clean ocean, we must change our behavior on shore.”

Jared Bosire, UNEP project manager

The department will also implement a waste sorting and recycling programme in one community per river. One possibility being considered is the idea of “swop-shops” where community members can trade the recyclable litter for essentials, said Yazeed Petersen, a Project Manager from the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. “Integrating these shops into the project will further encourage communities to become involved in litter collection.”

Douw Steyn of Plastics SA agreed. “We need to ensure that value is given to waste plastic so that it can contribute to the circular economy. Recyclers cannot get enough material, so there is enormous potential for those willing to collect litter.”

The project is designed to help South Africa achieve its targets under Sustainable Development Goal 14.1, under which the country committed to preventing and reducing marine pollution by 2025, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 6.3 to improve water quality by 2030 through reducing pollution.

The initiative is being funded by the Global Environment Facility through the Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-Based Sources and Activities, executed by the Nairobi Convention. This project will reduce land-based stresses on this environment by protecting critical habitats, improving water quality, and managing river flows. The convention, part of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme, serves as a platform for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together for the sustainable management and use of the Western Indian Ocean.

For more information, please contact

For more information, please contact Angela Patnode (angela.patnode@un.org).

Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, tackle climate change and protect our living planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history and one million species face extinction. In addition to important moments for decision makers, including the COP 15 on Biodiversity, the 2020 “super year” is a major opportunity to bring nature back from the brink. The future of humanity depends on action now.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners such as the Africa Restoration 100 initiative, the Global Landscapes Forum and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. A global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Help us shape the Decade.

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South Africa aims to stop marine litter at its source

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Every year, up to 250,000 tonnes of litter is dumped into the oceans around South Africa. Now, communities are trying to stem that tide.

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模擬塑膠漂移和累積：WACA 地區水污染的關鍵指標

塑膠污染為西非的公共衛生和食品安全帶來了重大挑戰。它導致幾內亞灣受污染的沿海潟湖的魚類捕撈量下降，該地區嚴重依賴魚類作為蛋白質的主要來源。固體廢棄物管理（包括塑膠處置）不充分與瘧疾和登革熱等病媒傳播疾病的風險增加有關。非洲是全球海洋塑膠輸入的第二大貢獻者，佔 7.8%，僅落後亞洲的 86%。預測表明，到 2060 年，非洲可能超過亞洲，成為全球管理不善的塑膠廢物的主要產生地。包括克羅斯河、伊莫河和誇伊博河在內的幾條西非河流均躋身全球污染最嚴重的 20 條河流之列。

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Seawater Pollution Assessment and Monitoring in the West Africa Coastal

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Monitoring and assessing seawater pollution play a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being of marine environments and the seafood quality

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非洲地區和孟加拉灣，越來越多的研究集中在海灘和近海地表水域的垃圾堆積上，但關於更深水域垃圾的信息很少，使用水獺拖網進行的底拖網捕撈記錄了副漁獲物。拖網寬度為18.5 m，網目2.4 cm，時間和速度一般分別為30分鐘和3節。對拖網漁獲物中的大型垃圾（> 2.5 公分）進行計數或稱重，並根據拖網覆蓋的面積將數量估計為密度/公里2 。拖網捕撈面積依拖網距離乘以拖網寬度計算。對於 534 條帶有垃圾兼捕報告的底拖網，垃圾類別報告為 360 條拖網捕撈量的項目，報告了 323 條拖網的重量。垃圾被記錄為六個主要類別：不明廢物、塑膠、塑膠罐罐等、金屬、漁具以及木材、紙張、紙板作為混合類別，遵循OSPAR (2010)和Keller 等人中的粗略類別。 （2010）。在一些遊輪上，垃圾主要分為兩類：塑膠垃圾和不明垃圾，但包含許多記錄的大型資料集使用更廣泛的類別，可以分析成分模式。

不同國家記錄的帶有垃圾兼漁獲物的拖網數量差異很大，而且對於某些國家來說，只有很少的數據。即便如此，單次拖網發現的垃圾密度非常高，顯示一個國家的海岸線上有些地方受到垃圾的嚴重影響。

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1960 年代、70 年代和 80 年代，數十萬個輪胎被戰略性地放置在墨西哥灣水域，作為創建人工魚礁的更大努力的一部分。當時，人們認為輪胎放置會增加珊瑚礁數量，促進旅遊和漁業活動，並以最小的經濟或環境成本改善魚類的棲息地。在放置後的幾十年裡，由於鹽水腐蝕、熱帶風暴和颶風，許多輪胎已經解開了束縛。現在，這些輪胎是一種移動的海洋垃圾，會對附近的海草和其他重要的棲息地造成相當大的破壞。不幸的是，經過多年的監測，科學家們確定人工輪胎礁石通常沒有像預期的那樣改善魚類種群，輪胎反而對環境造成了重大危害。輪胎會將有毒化學物質浸入水中，並降解成更小的顆粒，從而導致微塑膠污染

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Cleaning Up Tire Debris from Florida’s Gulf Coast | Marine Debris Program

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Pinellas County Government will remove and dispose of over 20,000 tires that were submerged as artificial reefs in the 1960s-1980s near Tampa Bay, Florida.

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塑膠瓶和瓶蓋、食品包裝紙、塑膠袋和釣魚線都會導致這個問題。這些物品可能會危及海鳥、海龜和海洋哺乳動物等野生動物，破壞敏感的棲息地，並對當地經濟產生負面影響。

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Reducing Barriers to Preventing Marine Debris in Texas Recreational Fisheries | Marine Debris Program

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The Texas Sea Grant College Program at Texas A&M University will work with the coastal Texas recreational fishing industry to reduce barriers to preventing marine debris including monofilament fishing line and single-use plastic items.

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Original South China Sea Restaurant, Highway Street, 拉科姆艾伯塔加拿大

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Original South China Sea Restaurant, Highway Street, 拉科姆艾伯塔加拿大

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Original South China Sea Restaurant, Highway Street, 拉科姆艾伯塔加拿大

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How much plastic enters the ocean?

Plastic leaks into the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Increasing consumption combined with improper waste management in many countries has made plastic pollution a worldwide problem, causing damage not only to the environment but also to human health and economies.

Humans produce over 400 million metric tons of plastic annually. That's roughly the weight of all humans on the planet - and plastic production is projected to keep going up.

So of this 400 million tons that gets produced each year - how much actually ends up in the ocean? Less than 0.5 percent .

This is because only a small proportion of plastic is disposed of incorrectly, and an even smaller part of that enters waterways. This does not mean the ocean plastic pollution problem is "small" - over 1 million metric tons is still a massive amount of pollution.

So how does plastic become ocean plastic, and what factors can influence it? Let's dig deeper.

How does plastic enter the ocean?

Plastic usage and waste management infrastructures differ all over the world. Only 9% gets recycled, and about 22% of plastic waste worldwide is either not collected, improperly disposed of, or ends up as litter.

People in high income countries consume the most plastic, but the waste management systems there are usually effective - meaning that even though there's a lot of plastic around, it is mostly kept out of the natural environment. Meanwhile, lower income countries often consume less plastic, meaning emissions from these countries remain low even if the local waste management infrastructure is lacking.

Most plastic emissions come from middle-income countries, where plastic usage is growing, but a lack of adequate waste management systems presents challenges in dealing with the increase in consumption.

During storms and other heavy rain events, plastic emissions can increase as much as tenfold as trash is washed into waterways. Rivers are the arteries that carry plastic from land to sea - but not every piece of plastic in a river will end up in the ocean. Many objects sink to the riverbed or get stuck somewhere along the river system.

The closer the plastic is to a river, and the closer that river is to the ocean, the greater the chances that the plastic will reach the ocean.

Therefore, coastal cities in middle-income countries are the world's plastic emissions hotspots. All these factors taken into account led to our study from 2021 identifying 1000 rivers worldwide representing almost 80% of ocean plastic emissions.

Where does plastic pollution go?

MOST PLASTIC EITHER SINKS OR BEACHES WITHIN A MONTH
Nearly half of the plastic sinks directly because of its low buoyancy. Of the other half which floats, our research shows most of it doesn't go far out in the ocean - about 80% of floating plastic will beach on a coastline within a month of leaking into the ocean. Some objects may be washed out to sea again, but coastlines are the final resting place for most floating ocean plastic. This can have serious consequences for the coastal environment and the fishing and tourism industries, as well as high cleanup costs for coastal communities.

If we take a PET bottle as an example; it is likely to sink as it fills up with water, but the cap, which is made of different type of plastic (HDPE), will stay afloat for much longer. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) products are most likely to travel long distances.

TRAPPED IN THE GYRES
It can take years for a plastic piece to break free from these coastal waters and be carried out to the open ocean - but once it's out there, it can stay there for a long time.

Plastic accumulates in huge subtropical oceanic areas called gyres - massive circular currents that trap the floating plastic for decades, if not centuries.

There are five gyres in our oceans. The most polluted - and best-studied - is the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to be twice the size of Texas - that's triple the size of France or Thailand. However, the garbage patch is not a solid island of trash, a common misconception - it's more often compared to a plastic soup.

Around 100 million kilograms of plastic float in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which contains 1.8 trillion pieces larger than 0.5 mm. That is about 160 pieces per person living on the planet. About 92% of the floating plastic mass in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch consists of larger objects. Only about 8% of the mass is microplastics. However, these larger objects are continually fragmenting into smaller pieces, which are much harder to clean up; the longer the problem exists, the worse it gets.

Other sources of plastic pollution

FISHING WASTE
Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution, but there is another major source of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - fishing gear. Where most plastic in coastal waters comes from land-based sources, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is different. In fact, our research shows that about 80% of the plastic in the GPGP comes from fishing activities at sea.

Fishing equipment lost or dumped at sea has a much higher chance of accumulating offshore because it is emitted far from coastlines (making it less likely to naturally return to shore), and because fishing gear is designed to survive in the water for long periods.
MICROPLASTIC SOURCES
When talking about microplastics, it is helpful to differentiate between primary and secondary microplastics. Primary microplastics, such as nurdles and cosmetic microbeads , are produced in that size. Secondary microplastics come from the degradation of larger objects. Two major sources of secondary microplastic from/on land are vehicle tires and synthetic clothing.

Microplastics are much more difficult to clean up, and because of their small size, their bioavailability increases, meaning they can potentially impact more species than larger objects. The Ocean Cleanup removes plastic objects from the ocean while they are still at a larger 'macroplastic' size, to prevent these objects from breaking into smaller pieces and eventually forming microplastics.

What is the impact of plastic pollution?

WILDLIFE
Marine wildlife suffers the most direct and damaging effects of ocean plastic pollution. From all kinds of fish to turtles, seals, crustaceans, micro-organisms and many other forms of life, the damage caused by plastic pollution to marine animals is increasingly visible as we learn more about this problem.

One of plastic's biggest assets as a material is its durability. However, this means that once plastic enters the ocean, it will persist there for long periods; it won't go away by itself. The oldest pieces we have found in our cleanup catches date back to the 1960s - and during this whole period, marine life is bearing the consequences.

Entanglement and ingestion have been found to impact 914 megafaunal species, of which more than 100 are endangered. As an example, the Mediterranean monk seal's (Monachus monachus) second leading cause of death (after deliberate killing) is fishing gear entanglement. Our researchers have spotted whales in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, indicating they are exposed to and affected by high quantities of plastic pollution. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has 180 times more plastic than biomass, indicating that plastic could be a primary food source for organisms in this region.

A DELICATE ECOSYSTEM
Any marine ecosystem is finely balanced, and any change to that balance can seriously impact the inhabitants. Floating plastic debris can allow species such as coastal organisms to spread far from their usual environments and thrive in the open ocean - upsetting the balance in the GPGP. This can be damaging to marine life naturally occurring in ocean garbage patches, such as neuston .

Some plastic not only contains harmful additives and chemicals but also acts as magnets for toxins from the surrounding air or water, so the longer a piece of plastic is out there, the more harmful it can become to any animal that ingests it.

Degradation is slow but constant, so the larger objects are a ticking time bomb, breaking down over time and raising levels of microplastics exponentially. Smaller objects impact and travel up the food chain - a food chain that ends with us humans.

OXYGEN AND CARBON
Research on Prochlorococcus, an abundant bacteria/phytoplankton in the ocean that produces oxygen, has shown that leaking toxins from plastic negatively affects their oxygen production and their reproduction.

Oceans not only produce oxygen , but also pump carbon down to the seabed. Zooplankton found ingesting microplastic consumed 40% less carbon biomass. The fecal pellets of zooplankton also sink at a lower rate when consuming significant doses of microplastic, which also may have an impact on the carbon pump.
HUMAN HEALTH
Microplastic is all around us - in our seafood, tap water, and salt, to name a few sources. Studies indicate that plastic can pass through the blood-brain barrier in mice as quickly as 2 hours after consumption. Research has found that it potentially poses acute and (sub) chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, and developmental toxicity.

However, the long-term effects on our health are not yet fully understood, and given how omnipresent it is, it is hard to isolate its full effects.
ECONOMIES
According to a Deloitte study, plastic pollution has been estimated to cost up to 19$ billion USD per year to the global economy. The costs considered stem from the impact on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and governmental cleanup. Derelict fishing gear also poses a safety risk to vessels at sea if they get stuck in propellers, which we also experienced firsthand.

What is being done about plastic pollution?

Plastic pollution is a global problem that requires a global response. Efforts to address plastic pollution on a systemic level are fragmented. Thankfully, the momentum for international cooperation to address the plastic crisis has increased over the past year. In particular, marine litter and microplastics have been on the agenda of the UN Environment Assembly for several years. On March 2, 2022, 175 countries participating in UNEA-5.2 adopted the resolution "End plastic pollution: towards an International legally binding instrument". This historic resolution launched the negotiations for a new legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution. The new instrument should address plastic pollution throughout the entire lifecycle of plastic, from source to sea.

Although this is a milestone worth celebrating, change will be inherently slow. The need for cleanup of what is currently polluting our waterways is evident given its impact right now. Local and global organizations, companies, and initiatives are working to clean up, but we have a long way to go.

We at The Ocean Cleanup work on cleaning up what is on its way through rivers, and what is already polluting our oceans. Identifying the sources of mismanaged waste leakage into the ocean means we can focus our cleanup efforts in those locations and with maximum impact.

As well as helping to identify the key sources of pollution, our cleanup operations provide a unique monitoring tool to track levels of pollution, evaluate the efficiency of policy measures, and optimize solutions. Together with our partners we use this growing knowledge to work towards a future where cleanup is no longer necessary.

Contribute to science

Help enrich the data on the sources of ocean plastic pollution. Using the Citizen Science app, you can share valuable information from your nearest river or ocean.

Find out more

We must clean up what is already polluting our oceans and what is on its way via the top 1000 polluting rivers. Learn more about our technology and approach, or check our impact dashboard for our current catch numbers.

Fund the cleanup

As a non-profit, The Ocean Cleanup can clean up plastic in the ocean and on its way via rivers, thanks to your donations.

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Ocean Plastic Pollution Explained | The Ocean Cleanup

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Plastic leaks into the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Increasing consumption combined with improper waste management in many countries has made plastic pollution a worldwide problem, causing damage not only to the environment but also to human health and economies.

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日本排放核廢水至太平洋

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福島核廢水排放問題 - 維基百科，自由的百科全書

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日本政府決定於2023年8月24日開始，將經過處理的福島核廢水[註 1]排入太平洋。該核廢水總量超過100萬噸，曾經受到放射性核種污染，福島第一核電廠在日本政府批准和國際原子能總署（IAEA）監督下，將放射性廢水過濾和稀釋後逐步排入海洋，預計整個排海計劃為期至少30年[4][5][6]。

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塑膠生產和消費不受控制時會發生什麼。此後，印尼採取了應對海洋污染的行動，海事和投資協調部長 (CMMAI) 盧胡特·潘查伊坦 (Luhut Pandjaitan) 承諾“印尼採取全面、全面的系統變革方法來應對塑料廢物和污染。”由CMMAI牽頭，印尼《海洋塑膠垃圾行動計畫（2017-2025）》目標是在2025年將海洋塑膠垃圾減少70%，從源頭控制塑膠污染。在這一目標中，政府報告稱，截至 2022 年 12 月，海洋塑膠垃圾減少了 35.36%。

錨網、絞網和塑膠罐等漁具極有可能成為 ALDFG，污染海洋環境

2018 年至 2020 年間進行的一項研究追蹤了源自印尼三大河流（稱為塑膠碎片熱點）的塑膠顆粒的最終堆積區域。在 Cisadane 河和 Musi 河中，65% 的塑膠堆積在河口附近。相較之下，來自梭羅河的塑膠廢物顆粒中有 90% 廣泛分散在印尼海域或進一步漂流到印度洋

們的研究使用無人機和人工智慧來檢測和量化漂浮和/或衝上岸的海洋塑膠碎片，發現河岸上至少一半（47％至65％）的塑膠物品包括SUP物品，例如杯蓋、帽子和小物品。

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How Indonesia is combating marine plastic pollution from source to sea

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Three World Bank studies highlight the major sources of Indonesia’s marine plastic debris and provide policy recommendations for addressing the issue.

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越南是全球海洋塑膠污染熱點地區之一並且位居世界第四。本研究調查了越南沿海和海洋塑膠污染的現狀及其來源、匯集以及遏制該國環境持續威脅的解決方案。紅樹林生態系、沙丘和底土是該國沿海塑膠垃圾的主要匯，而除沿海邊緣外，海草草甸和深海也是海洋塑膠垃圾的主要匯流。越南遏制海洋和沿海塑膠污染所需的關鍵步驟是清理現有垃圾，防止更多塑膠廢物進入沿海和海洋環境，嚴格立法，社區教育，並對沿海地區傾倒塑膠垃圾實施處罰。要解決越南沿海和海洋塑膠污染問題，在地方和區域範圍內採取適當的廢棄物管理策略是不可避免的。

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湄南河是泰國最大的河流，全長近400公里，從該國北部山區流經肥沃的中部平原和首都曼谷，最後注入南部的泰國灣。

它也是世界上污染最嚴重的河流之一，每年輸送約400 萬公斤河流塑料，這些塑料堵塞了運河，對河流生態和依賴河流的社區產生了負面影響。這條河是泰國海洋塑膠廢棄物的主要來源之一，泰國遭受世界上最大的塑膠廢棄物危機之一，每年因塑膠被丟棄而不是回收成其他有價值的材料而損失高達40 億美元。

「泰國的塑膠垃圾數量非常多，但我們只能回收其中的四分之一左右，」庫拉納特·西里帕蒂 (Kulanart Siriphati) 說。 “剩下的東西就浪費掉了。

Siriphati 女士是總部位於曼谷的Union J Plus 的董事總經理，這是一家由女性擁有和領導的公司，該公司收集和回收泰國大量的家庭塑料廢物，並將其主要轉化為優質食品級聚烯烴塑料。

Union J Plus 每年回收 30,000 噸塑料，其中包括 20,000 噸優質食品級聚烯烴。

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Trash to Cash: Financial Solutions to the Marine Plastics Crisis in East Asia and the Pacific

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Marine pollution from discarded plastics is a big global problem. Using blue finance, a Thai company is addressing it by collecting and recycling the plastics.

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塑膠污染（PP）是一個持續存在的、普遍存在的全球性問題，儘管加拉巴哥群島是 世界上最原始、保護最完善的地區之一，但它對加拉巴哥群島構成了威脅。透過與公民科學家 密切合作，我們的目標是量化和繪製 PP 的嚴重程度和生物效應。我們的研究表明， 加拉巴哥群島所有五個採樣生物區的大塑膠豐度範圍為 0.003 至 2.87 件/平方米， 其海岸線均受到 PP 污染。

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Frontiers | Galápagos and the plastic problem

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Plastic pollution (PP) is an ongoing, pervasive global problem that represents a risk to the Galápagos archipelago, despite it being one of the world’s most…

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因石油開採而被破壞的美麗海景！！！

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亞馬遜也有珊瑚礁？（但可能很快就沒有了） - Greenpeace 綠色和平 | 香港

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在巴西北部、臨近亞馬遜河口，最近有一個驚人新發現。在這水質渾濁和帶有泥濘的水域，竟然有面積達9,500平方公里的珊瑚礁系統，足足有9個香港之大。如此複雜豐富而且巨大的海洋生態，包括逾兩米長的巨型海綿及稱為rhodolith的鈣草等珊瑚礁生物。珊瑚礁常見於水質清澈的水域，但卻在這裡蓬勃生長，大自然總能給你我意想不到的驚喜。

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因污染严重、过度捕捞 智利矮海豚数量急剧减少

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