We are using enormous quantities of single use plastics, with many of them ending up in the ocean
A photo of a ‘sea of plastics’ has recently gone viral in the web. Shot by photographer Caroline Power in the Caribbean, it shows the great extent of the problem we are facing with plastics and their disposal. Power, who specializes in underwater photography, is trying to highlight the damage plastic waste is doing to our oceans through her work. “Once the trash is in the ocean, it is incredibly difficult and costly to remove. The key is to stop the trash before it enters the ocean. â€, says Mrs. Power. “In order for that to happen, we need to improve waste management, environmental education and recycling facilities on a global scale. This is a developed nation (first world) problem as well†she adds, pointing out that “because of the lack of infrastructure and education, so many people either burn trash or throw it into riversâ€.
During their trip off the coast of Honduras, between the islands of Roatan and Cayos Cochinos, the dive team witnessed a blanket of plastic items and rubbish, the situation being at its worst about 15 miles off the coast of Roatan heading towards the Cayos Cochinos Marine Reserve. “We were on a dive trip to a set of islands that don't quite break the ocean surface. They are one of the most pristine dive sites in this part of the Caribbean,†Mrs. Power recalled. “The photo of the diver in the water was actually over one of these seamounts. To see an area that is supposed to be pristine covered in garbage and trash was disheartening.†For nearly five miles, everywhere they looked there were plastic bags of all shapes and sizes, some of which were whole while the rest were just pieces. “There was a seemingly infinite number of plastic forks, spoons, drink bottles, and plates. There were broken soccer balls, toothbrushes, a tv, and so many shoes and flip flopsâ€, she says.
Blue Planet Society, an organization campaigning to end overfishing and the overexploitation of the world’s oceans, believes the rubbish originated from the Motagua River in Guatemala, washing into the sea during heavy rains, claiming that “this has been an issue in region for some time.†Footage of a river of plastic waste in San Andrés Itzapa, Guatemala that is shown below supports this assertion.
The positive outcome of high publicity
Because these photos attached a lot of attention worldwide, officials from Guatemala and Honduras met on Tuesday 24th October to discuss the Caribbean Sea plastic pollution crisis, while the President of Honduras appointed a task force, in order for Guatemala to create a $2m 'waste-trap'. The Guatemalan authorities affirmed that until July 2018, the ‘island of garbage’ originating from the Motagua River will be terminated.
Source: The Telegraph
A sea of plastic and Styrofoam, between Roatan and Cayos, in Hondura
Photo credits: Caroline Power Photography
Photo credits: Caroline Power Photography
