According to a report released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 80% of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea consists of plastic debris, more than half of which consists of single-use plastic products. The Mediterranean Sea has become one of the most seriously polluted areas in the world by microplastics, which are enriched through the food chain, causing 18% of endemic Mediterranean species to face threats to their survival. The Italian Institute for Environmental Protection, for example, has found a 40 per cent increase in microplastics in tuna in local waters by 2020, which could lead to immune system disorders and reduced reproductive capacity. In addition, “ghost fishing gear” (derelict nets) accounts for 86 per cent of the debris on the seabed and kills about 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds every year.
Leave a Reply