Issue 89 - October 2022

Tougher Measures Urgently Needed From The International Maritime Organisation To Curb Plastic Pellet Pollution

All Photo Credit Ed Marshall – Plastic nurdles, Norfolk, January 2019.

A new report by international wildlife conservation charity, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), highlights the disastrous impact of plastic pellet pollution on marine wildlife and calls for a more robust, regulatory approach from industry, governments and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to put an end to plastic pellet loss at all stages of the supply chain.

Plastic pellets, or ‘nurdles’, are lentil-sized pieces of plastic that are melted together to create almost all plastic items used day-to-day. Pellets are a significant source of microplastic pollution; they spill on land and at sea in staggering numbers, especially while in transit, and it is estimated that billions of individual pellets enter the ocean every year.

Plastic pellet pollution is both a chronic problem and an acute one. Chronic loss results from smaller-scale leaks and losses during the various stages of pellet handling, transportation and manufacturing. Acute loss refers to large numbers of pellets entering the environment in one go, for example when, in May 2021, the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl caught fire and approximately 84 billion pellets were spilled from the ship into the Indian ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka.

FFI’s new report, titled ‘Stemming the tide: putting an end to plastic pellet pollution’, deep dives into plastic pellets’ impact on the environment and biodiversity, explores the points at which pellets are lost on land and at sea, and analyses the limitations of existing preventative action.The report crucially highlights that plastic pellet pollution is preventable and concludes with a series of evidence-based recommendations for immediate measures and regulations that can be put in place to curb the issue.

Amongst the recommendations outlined in FFI’s report is a call for the IMO, which is responsible for regulating global shipping, to classify plastic pellets as marine pollutants, which would mean that they are immediately subject much stricter handling rules when shipped at sea.

Other recommendations range from the use of appropriate packaging from the point of production to the point of delivery, to improving disaster response in the event of major spillages.

Tanya Cox, Senior Technical Specialist, Marine Plastics, FFI, explains: “There is a growing body of evidence documenting the sheer scale of plastic pellet pollution, the harm it causes to marine life and its impacts on ecosystems and human livelihoods. But, attempts to prevent pellet loss and minimise its impact have, to-date, been limited, despite the issue being entirely preventable.

“Current pellet loss prevention measures are voluntary in nature and mainly focus on land-based sources of pollution, however there is a critical need for complementary measures that will reduce the risk of pellets being lost during transport at sea as well.

“While the early adopters of voluntary, preventative action should be applauded for their efforts, as our report outlines, it is clear that voluntary action alone is insufficient to level the playing field and drive the systemic change needed to eliminate this form of pollution, both on land and at sea. We need an urgent move towards a regulatory approach, with mandatory requirements that are supported by rigorous standards and certification schemes.”

Not only are plastic pellets increasingly littering oceans and beaches around the world, they are often mistaken for food by marine life and are regularly eaten or ingested, filling the stomachs of fish and animals and leading to starvation.

While pellets are inherently hazardous due to the toxic additives they contain, they also act like a sponge, adsorbing and accumulating bacteria and persistent environmental pollutants that are present in sea water. When pellets come into contact with, or are eaten by, marine animals, the toxins, chemicals and bacteria can potentially be transferred to the animal, effectively acting as a poisoned pill for marine life.

Catherine Weller, Director, Global Policy, FFI, comments: “It’s up to all those that handle plastic pellets – including raw material providers, transporters and plastic product manufacturers – to do everything in their power to ensure that plastic pellets are properly stored, transported and handled. But we’re also calling for action from policymakers; they have a number of open opportunities to have an immediate, positive impact. If mandatory requirements for all pellet handlers are put in place, it won’t just be those voluntarily choosing best practice who will be accountable for tackling the problem.

“Our report is a useful reference tool for policymakers who are considering the most effective interventions to stop pellet pollution on a national, regional and international basis, not least as the world comes together to consider regulatory action by the IMO and, in parallel, negotiate solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis under the auspices of the United Nations Global Plastic Treaty.”

Ambassador Peter Thomson, UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, who provides the foreword for the FFI report, comments: “The harm being caused by plastic and microplastic pollution is as perverse as it is inexcusable. It’s clear that the damaging impact of plastic pellet pollution needs to be raised to much higher ground on the global agenda. It is an assault on nature and, with the right attitude to living harmoniously on this planet, it is entirely preventable.

“By weight, pellets are estimated to be the second largest direct source of microplastic marine pollution, with the harm these invasive pieces of plastic are causing being, in the strongest sense of the word, reprehensible. All human-created problems have human solutions, and with logic, moral force and willpower there’s no challenge we can’t overcome. When it comes to plastic pollution, FFI’s new report points us in the direction to do just that.”

To access FFI’s report, ‘Stemming the tide: putting an end to plastic pellet pollution’, and the full list of recommendations, please visit: fauna-flora.org/nurdle-report

About Fauna & Flora International (FFI)

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) protects threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science and that enhance human well-being. Operating in more than 40 countries worldwide, FFI saves species from extinction and habitats from destruction, while improving the livelihoods of local people. Founded in 1903, FFI is the world’s longest established international wildlife conservation organisation and a registered charity.

FFI has been working on marine plastics since 2009, and was the first biodiversity conservation organisation to address the emerging threat from microplastics in our oceans. FFI’s plastics work involves collating scientific evidence and working with partners to propose effective upstream solutions, such as phasing out unnecessary microbeads in personal care and cosmetics products, and working towards a supply chain approach to tackling pellet pollution. FFI has also been working with policymakers to shape effective policies and recommendations that tackle microplastic pollution at source.

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Issue 89 - October 2022

Seasonal Change in Antarctic Ice Sheet Movement Observed for The First Time

By The University of Cambridge

Some estimates of Antarctica’s total contribution to sea-level rise may be over- or underestimated, after researchers detected a previously unknown source of ice loss variability.

The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and Austrian engineering company ENVEO, identified distinct, seasonal movements in the flow of land-based ice draining into George VI Ice Shelf – a floating platform of ice roughly the size of Wales – on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Using imagery from the Copernicus/European Space Agency Sentinel-1 satellites, the researchers found that the glaciers feeding the ice shelf speed up by approximately 15% during the Antarctic summer. This is the first time that such seasonal cycles have been detected on land ice flowing into ice shelves in Antarctica. The results are reported in the journal The Cryosphere.

While it is not unusual for ice flow in Arctic and Alpine regions to speed up during summer, scientists had previously assumed that ice in Antarctica was not subject to the same seasonal movements, especially where it flows into large ice shelves and where temperatures are below freezing for most of the year.

This assumption was also, in part, fuelled by a lack of imagery collected over the icy continent in the past. “Unlike the Greenland Ice Sheet, where a high quantity of data has allowed us to understand how the ice moves from season to season and year to year, we haven’t had comparable data coverage to look for such changes over Antarctica until recently,” said Karla Boxall from Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), the study’s first author.

“Observations of ice-speed change in the Antarctic Peninsula have typically been measured over successive years, so we’ve been missing a lot of the finer detail about how flow varies from month to month throughout the year,” said co-author Dr Frazer Christie, also from SPRI.

Prior to the detailed records of ice speed made possible by the Sentinel-1 satellites, scientists wanting to study short-term variations in Antarctic-wide ice flow had to rely on information collected by optical satellites such as NASA’s Landsat 8.

“Optical measurements can only observe the Earth’s surface on cloud-free days during summer months,” said co-author Dr Thomas Nagler, ENVEO’s CEO. “But by using Sentinel-1 radar imagery, we were able to discover seasonal ice-flow change thanks to the ability of these satellites to monitor year-round and in all-weather conditions.”

Currently, the causes of this seasonal change are uncertain. It could be caused by surface meltwater reaching the base of the ice and acting like a lubricant, as is the case in Arctic and Alpine regions, or it could be due to relatively warm ocean water melting the ice from below, thinning the floating ice and allowing upstream glaciers to move faster.

“These seasonal cycles could be due to either mechanism, or a mixture of the two,” said Christie. “Detailed ocean and surface measurements will be required to understand fully why this seasonal change is occurring.”

The results imply that similar seasonal variability may exist at other, more vulnerable sites in Antarctica, such as the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica. “If true, these seasonal signatures may be uncaptured in some measurements of Antarctic ice-mass loss, with potentially important implications for global sea-level rise estimates,” said Boxall.

“It’s the first time this seasonal signal has been found on the Antarctic Ice Sheet, so the questions it raises regarding the possible presence and causes of seasonality elsewhere in Antarctica are really interesting,” said co-author Professor Ian Willis, also from SPRI. “We look forward to taking a closer look at, and shedding light on, these important questions.”

The research was supported in part by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the European Space Agency. Karla Boxall is a PhD student at Newnham College, Cambridge. Frazer Christie is an Associate of Jesus College, Cambridge. Ian Willis is a Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

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Issue 89 - October 2022

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – October 2022 – Issue 89

Feature Destination

Feature Destination: Nature and Its Healing Power

South Korea has designated and operated national parks to preserve the natural ecosystems and natural and cultural wonders. As the designation requirements are demanding, the national park is an assorted gift set of healing benefits that allow visitors to enjoy natural ecosystems, natural landscapes, and cultural wonders at once. Read more…

Ocean Conservancy Plastic Pollution Experts to Attend South Korea for Seventh International Marine Debris Conference

A delegation of ocean plastic pollution experts from NGO Ocean Conservancy will be leading or presenting at more than 15 events at the upcoming 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC), the world’s longest-running international conference dedicated to the issue of marine litter and plastic pollution. Read more…

Feature Destination: In the Yellow Sea, a Shining Example of Marine Protection

It has been more than 20 years since South Korea and China began a novel partnership to restore and protect the shallow body of salt water that lies between them: the Yellow Sea, a semi-enclosed marine area bracketed by the Chinese mainland and the Korean peninsula. Read more…

Newsroom

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Sustainable travel is a word we are hearing a lot of these days. And, sustainable practices don’t just apply to the travel industry, they apply to all of us. We need to make smart choices, and not contribute to over tourism or factors that will have a negative impact on our planet. We all need to do our share. Read more…

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Global Tsunami That Scoured Seafloor Thousands of Miles from Impact Site

The miles-wide asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago wiped out nearly all the dinosaurs and roughly three-quarters of the planet’s plant and animal species. It also triggered a monstrous tsunami with mile-high waves that scoured the ocean floor thousands of miles from the impact site. Read more…

Tougher Measures Urgently Needed From The International Maritime Organisation To Curb Plastic Pellet Pollution

Madagascar Whale Shark Project Unveils New Project to Empower Conservationists to Protect The Ocean

The Madagascar Whale Shark Project is announcing a new way for ocean lovers to support its efforts to protect endangered whale sharks. The project has launched a donation-based Patreon page to enable followers to support its vital work through a monthly subscription. Read more…

‘Hydrogen Road Map’: The Lightest Element Can Play a Heavy-Duty Role in Michigan’s Clean-Energy Transition

Hydrogen, the most abundant and lightest element in the universe, can play a significant role in accelerating Michigan’s clean-energy transition away from fossil fuels in the coming decades, according to a new report released today by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Read more…

SAWFISH NEWS: Respect-Release-Report: Guidelines for Interactions with Endangered Sawfish in the United States

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Science Without Borders® Challenge Announcement for 2023

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Second Historic Canoe Recovered from Wisconsin’s Lake Mendota

Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologists, alongside partners from Wisconsin’s Native Nations, recovered a 3,000-year-old dugout canoe from Lake Mendota in Madison today, less than one year after their recovery of a 1,200-year-old canoe that drew international attention in November 2021. Read more…

Navigating the Environmental Impact of Eco-Tourism

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The Team of Biologists from The University of Vienna Discovers The Old Genes Keep Sea Anemones Forever Young

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The genetic fingerprint of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis shows that the members of this evolutionarily very old animal phylum use the same gene cascades for the differentiation of neuronal cell types as more complex organisms. Read more…

Seasonal Change in Antarctic Ice Sheet Movement Observed for The First Time

Some estimates of Antarctica’s total contribution to sea-level rise may be over- or underestimated, after researchers detected a previously unknown source of ice loss variability. Read more…

SEVENSEAS Beach Cleanups

In August 2022 CleanUp, we picked up over 80 kilogram of plastic, pieces of glasses, tractor tyre, and fishing nets from the beach in Krabi, Long Beach or Pan Beach. Of course, we would not be able to do it without your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation here to keep our publications and Thailand Cleanup Project afloat.

You can either make a direct financial contribution to SEVENSEAS Media through The Ocean Foundation website or connect us with potential donors by sending an email to Giacomo Abrusci, our Editor-in-Chief.

The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here or email us Here.

Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.

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Feature Destination

Feature Destination: In the Yellow Sea, a Shining Example of Marine Protection

The Yellow Sea’s amber-tinged waters and coastlines teem with 1,600 different species of fauna – from dugongs and sea turtles to flounders and rockfish. The land around the sea also teems with humanity. More than 600 million people, or 10 percent of the global population, live on or near its shores and rely on its health for food and income.

A generation ago, it became increasingly clear that the rapid economic development of the surrounding region was placing a heavy strain on this fragile and valuable environment.

Over-fishing and pollution from industry, agriculture, and housing had depleted fish stocks, while many of the region’s tidal mudflats, key feeding grounds for migratory birds, had been lost to coastal reclamation. Biodiversity was also threatened by invasive species and ecosystem changes such as algal blooms and nutrient contamination.

To counterbalance these threats, the governments of China and the Republic of Korea began working with the Global Environment Facility and UN Development Programme (UNDP) in the mid-1990s to lay plans for the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project (YSLME).

A new report published by the YSLME project and available through the GEF’s International Waters knowledge-sharing platform IW:Learn details the array of innovative solutions introduced since the start of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem project.

These have included the ranching of key marine species for reintroduction, government-led schemes to buy back fishing vessels and lessen pressure on stocks, enhanced monitoring of pollutants, and curbs on coastal reclamation and commercial fishing.

Harvesting kelp in Dongchu Village. Photo credit: Yitao Zhang

These initiatives have benefited the region in many ways: restoring marine forests around the picturesque island of Jeju to stem the spread of barren ground near the coast, helping to protect the tiny and critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, and encouraging cooperation with other countries to preserve the habitat of the spotted seal, one of the region’s flagship species.

The first phase of the project initially focused on helping the countries conduct a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of the Yellow Sea to pinpoint the most pressing environmental perils and their immediate and root causes.

This analysis formed the technical basis for the bilateral talks between China and the Republic of Korea that led up to the preparation and ministerial adoption of an initial Strategic Action Programme. Approved by both countries in 2009, the Programme set out pledges from the partners to take steps to reduce environmental pressures, such as fishing limits, improved management of sea and coastal areas, and pollution reduction targets.

A second phase of the project began in 2014 and closed in 2021. This phase resulted in the preparation of a new YSLME Strategic Action Programme for 2020-2030 and an updated TDA to guide and inform efforts.

A critical part of the initiative was the sharing of successes, challenges, and lessons, so other regions could learn from the marine restoration efforts of China and the Republic of Korea.

“Thanks to the results, experience and lessons from the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project, countries around the world are better equipped to put in place good practices on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture that can protect the ocean’s health and propel sustainable blue development,” said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodriguez. “It is a shining example of what can be achieved through cooperation on shared marine resources.”

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