Tangled Dunnet gannets highlight plastic pollution problem in our seas
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The stark image of two dead seabirds with beaks tangled in discarded plastic highlights the issue of pollution in our seas ahead of World Oceans Day tomorrow (June 8).
The images were taken by Dorcas Sinclair who heads up the Caithness Beach Cleans (CBC) group of volunteers who help rid local beaches of plastic and other debris that pose a threat to wildlife.
"We found these dead gannets on Saturday when we went for a walk and beach clean on Dunnet beach," said Dorcas who was with her husband Allan at the time.
"Dunnet was remarkably clean and we were walking at the top of the beach to see if any bits of string or rope had become exposed by the wind blowing the sand away."
That was when the couple discovered the dead seabirds – their dagger-like pointed bills joined together by a small piece of nylon cord.
Dorcas added: "The image is a very graphic representation of why we do, what we do. This is a small length of string that has become tangled in the beaks of these birds. Look along the tide line next time you go for a walk on the beach – you will find plenty of pieces about this size that you could pick up and potentially save another bird from."
The CBC volunteers post updates and images on the group's Facebook page and the grand total of plastic removed from local beaches since it started up a couple of years ago now stands at 29.82 tons. The volunteers intend to celebrate hitting the 30-ton mark at a private event soon.
Dorcas said: "It is interesting to note that of the nearly 30 UK long tons of plastic that has been removed locally so far, the majority of it has been done in beach cleans of less than 10lb in weight. People are often awed by the big amounts that we sometimes bring in, but in reality the backbone of the cleaning is done in small amounts. Small, short lengths of string in amounts that anyone could pick up on a beach walk."
On April 25 Dorcas and her husband found three gannets at Armadale beach tangled in a long line with hooks attached. "So very sad. We removed the long dead birds from the line and took the it away."
The purpose of World Oceans Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans. "Our seas are choking with plastic waste, which can be found from the remotest atolls to the deepest ocean trenches," says UN secretary general António Guterres.
Dorcas agrees with this point saying: "Our oceans are the lifeblood of our planet, we must look after them. The fish eat the plastic, thinking it is food, we eat the fish. This is a very simplified explanation but does bring home how the plastic is entering our bodies. Today, babies are being born with plastic already in them."
The Facebook page for Caithness Beach Cleans is www.facebook.com/groups/2561533860586878
Information on World Oceans Day can be found at www.un.org/en/observances/oceans-day
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