90% of Sea Birds Have Eaten Plastic

A new study shows up to 90 percent of sea birds have eaten plastic, which is likely still in their digestive systems.

And until we tackle the flow of waste in the ocean, this problem will only get worse.

According to Erik Van Sebille and his colleagues, it is “virtually certain that any dead seabird found in 2050 will have a bit of plastic in its stomach.”

In 1960, it was believed that fewer than 5 percent of birds had consumed ocean trash.

At this rate, the research team believes 99 percent of sea birds will be affected by 2050.

“Plastic in seabirds is ubiquitous, and it’s increasing,” study leader Chris Wilcox from CSIRO, Australia’s federal research agency, told BBC News.

Dr. Van Sebille, who is affiliated to Imperial College London, added that, “Every ocean is now filled with plastic. Some have more than others, but what we found is that even the oceans that are not known for their plastic – they still have quite a bit of plastic and they can be where the harm is really done just because that’s where all the birds live.”

Read more from BBC News.