The Problem: Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean (UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution). Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world.
How many animals are affected by plastic?
How does plastic affect marine life? While it's difficult to know exactly how many marine animals are killed by plastic pollution, it's been estimated that plastic pollution kills 100,000 marine mammals every year.1 Jul 2021
What animal dies the most because of plastic?
- Sea Turtles. Like many other marine animals, sea turtles mistake plastic waste for a viable food source, sometimes causing blockages in their digestive system.
- Seals and Sea Lions.
- Seabirds.
- Fish.
- Whales and Dolphins.
How many animals die from plastic?
100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone. 100,000 marine animals die from getting entangled in plastic yearly this is just the creatures we find!
What percentage of animals eat plastic?
According to EIA International, it's estimated that 56 percent of the planet's whale, dolphin and porpoise species have consumed plastic. Mammals aren't the only marine animals eating plastic, either. Science recently reported that fish larvae are four times more likely to eat microplastic than actual food.7 Jan 2021
How many land animals die from plastic pollution each year?
And while the statistics are incomplete, some conservationists estimate that at least 100,000 mammals and birds die from them each year, felled by the estimated 500 billion and more plastic bags that are produced and consumed around the world; the numbers of fish killed by them are unknown, but they are sure to number
What animals does plastic kill?
Thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. Endangered wildlife like Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific loggerhead sea turtles are among nearly 700 species that eat and get caught in plastic litter.
How many land animals die from littering each year?
Litter Kills Wildlife Researchers estimate that over one million animals die each year after ingesting, or becoming entrapped in, improperly discarded trash.4 May 2020