How much trash in our oceans?

In one day, how much marine trash can ordinary people pick up? Nearly 3.2 million kilos was picked up and catalogued by volunteers participating in the one-day worldwide coastal cleanup in September 2008. 400,000 volunteers in 104 countries took part.

The Ocean Conservancy just issued their report on International Coastal Cleanup: A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris and What We Can Do About It.
Singapore is part of this effort, see International Coastal Cleanup Singapore for more details of how you CAN make a difference. ICCS is NOT just about picking up litter.

"Our ocean is sick, and our actions have made it so," Vikki Spruill, president and chief executive of Ocean Conservancy, said in a statement accompanying the report.

"We simply cannot continue to put our trash in the ocean. The evidence turns up every day in dead and injured marine life, littered beaches that discourage tourists, and choked ocean ecosystems," she said.

"By changing behaviors and policies, individuals, companies, and governments can help improve the health of our ocean, the Earth's life support system."

More links

• No fishing at West Coast Park: Nobody gives a damn on the Lazy Lizard's Tales blog about the impact of abandoned driftnets.