LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – According to a scientific study the Mediterranean and Black Sea are among the highest exposure risk areas for seabirds to plastic pollution in the world. The study published in the scientific journal ‘Nature Communication’ highlights the need for improved international cooperation and collaboration to address the global threat of plastic pollution to marine life, as well as the urgency for strong political action to limit plastic production, use, and disposal. The study used data collected through BirdLife Maltàs successive seabird studies. It was found that Yelkouan Shearwaters breeding on Malta are suffering from the highest plastic exposures of any seabird worldwide. Spending all their life between the Mediterranean and Black Sea, they are constantly exposed to high plastic density throughout their annual cycle.
The Maltese Islands are home to three species of seabirds that formed part of the study – the Scopolìs Shearwater, the Yelkouan Shearwater and the European Stormpetrel. Seabirds are sensitive to plastic pollution as they accidentally swallow plastic which they mistake for food, or become entangled in plastic debris when foraging.
– Photo credit: Agenzia Fotogramma –
