Talking Point: No place for plastic in a wild bird's stomach

Volunteer Wildlife Field Officers Louise Steedman, left, and Liv Flynn with Jessica Maxwell, Chairwoman of the Hawkes Bay Bird and Wildlife Rescue.

The Hawkes Bay Bird and Wildlife Rescue is a small, voluntary organisation, based in Napier, providing a much-needed, free rescue and rehabilitation community service.

We are hearing about, and seeing first-hand, the problems which both marine and land-based birds and wildlife are facing due to plastic pollution and the careless dumping of harmful everyday products into our fragile eco-systems and environment.

The tragic death of the young albatross found at Whirinaki, which had swallowed a 500ml plastic drinks bottle and some balloon rubber, is the second recent albatross death we are aware of locally and highlights the plight which marine life the world over is facing.

A 2014 study carried out by PLOS (Public Library of Science) estimated that there were some 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing over 250,000 tons afloat in the world's oceans, figures scientists now consider are conservative.

And what about the incalculable amount of plastic microbeads which are being ingested by fish and other marine life and are now established both in the food chain and fresh-water sources?

These minute particles have even been discovered inside creatures at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean's 11km-deep Mariana Trench, while The Guardian newspaper reports that people are unwittingly eating some 50,000 plastic particles a year and breathing in the same amount.

Statistics around plastic are mind-boggling. Plastic Oceans reports that 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually, 50 per cent of which is single use. In 2017, Seas at Risk reported that in Europe alone, around 46 billion plastic drinks bottles, 16 billion plastic-lined coffee cups and 36.4 billion plastic straws are used annually, so even if only 1 per cent of those items end up in the sea, the level of pollution is huge.

Dolphins, whales and birds have been found in every one of the world's oceans with their stomachs full of plastic.

Last March, a young Cuvier's beaked whale died of starvation in the Philippines (one of the world's worst ocean polluters). On autopsy, nearly 37 kg of plastic rubbish was removed from its stomach. Out of 61 whales that died in the Philippines' Davao Gulf, 45 deaths were attributed to them having ingested plastic.

Mass production of the new wonder product began during the 1940s and 50s. In 1960, fewer than 5 per cent of seabirds studied were found to have plastic in their stomachs.

By 1980, this number had sky-rocketed to 80 per cent and in 2015, Australian and British scientists identified that 90 per cent of seabirds had ingested some form of plastic, mistaking it for food. Millions of marine animals and birds die from plastic pollution annually. At what point do we, the polluters, say, "Enough is enough?"

While globally, the problem seems overwhelming, we can all make a difference at a local level. Simple things, like not dumping rubbish in the first place and picking it up if you see any, cutting down on the use of single-use plastic and packaging and encouraging friends to do the same all helps.

In the 70-odd years since the plastic revolution began, the pollution and damage it has caused to the planet both above ground and under water is horrendous. The positive news is that the younger generation appears to understand that, unless something pretty major is done to save the planet from the effects of global warming and pollution - and done pretty quickly they, their children and Earth itself, face an uncertain future.

We offer a free "Education in Schools Programme" where our organisation's founder and volunteer wildlife Field Officer, Liv Flynn and I visit local Primary and Intermediate schools and talk to students.

We want to visit as many schools as possible through 2020 so that we can encourage empathy and a respect for birds, wildlife and all animals among young people.

We tell them a bit about how we help abandoned, sick and injured wildlife and show them a variety of potentially harmful everyday items such as cigarette butts, lengths of tangled fishing line, hooks, tin cans, plastic bottles, plastic rings, lead sinkers and plastic bags, explaining how irresponsible disposal of these seemingly innocuous objects can kill our precious wildlife.

We are very impressed with the sound knowledge that the students have of the environment and their awareness of the issues which are harming local marine and land-based wildlife.

The unlucky young albatross had the potential to live up to sixty odd years but its life was cut short because of a discarded drinks bottle.

Its untimely death illustrates an important point Liv makes when explaining to schoolchildren how they as individuals can help: "Picking up just one piece of rubbish can save a life."

Jessica Maxwell is Chairwoman of the Hawkes Bay Bird and Wildlife Rescue, a registered Charitable Trust.