First Lady Comments on Marine Debris

Marine Debris Takes a Grim Toll on Wildlife

The First Lady addresses the detrimental effects and serious danger marine debris poses to the world’s oceans and threatened wildlife, particularly in sensitive habitats like the  Northwestern Hawaiian Islands . She calls for the reduction and re-use of plastics to help prevent marine debris.

From The Wall Street Journal

September 10, 2007

Curtis Ebbesmeyer's commentary "Rubber Ducky Frenzy1" (editorial page, Aug. 8) about the thousands of bathtub toys lost overboard in 1992 highlights the persistent problem of marine debris in our oceans and along our coastlines.

Artifacts like a golf ball, lighter, and random pieces of plastic poke through the skeletal remains of an Albatross on Midway Atoll. These artifacts of global pollution are eaten by the Albatross, which ultimately kills them. In 2006, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration — (NOAA) picked up 21 tons of marine debris in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

I witnessed the grim toll marine debris takes on wildlife during my visit to Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands last March. These islands are home to over 70% of the world's Laysan Albatrosses. My visit coincided with the Albatross nesting season when the chicks are dependent solely on the adults for food. Adult Albatrosses fly far from these islands in search of food and in the process of fishing they mistake floating plastic for fish to feed their chicks. I saw firsthand the unfortunate result: carcasses of Albatross chicks which upon examination had fragments of plastic, including toys, cigarette lighters, toothbrushes and bottle caps, in their stomachs. Many Laysan Albatrosses die each year as a result of ingesting plastic, and research shows that increasing accumulation of debris also entangles seals and turtles on the islands.

Marine debris in the NWHI National Monument

Debris floating in the oceans and coastal waters enters from many sources: litter and illegal dumping on land, fishing gear lost at sea, and cargo lost overboard. Trash that is disposed of improperly along coastal areas is likely to wash out into the ocean. A significant portion of the waste consists of non-biodegradable plastic. The plastic may float in the ocean for years, entangle marine animals or be eaten by them, degrade habitats such as coral reefs, or end up on the shores in distant places -- like Midway Atoll.

A Laysan Albatross on Midway Atoll stands near her dead chick. Midway Atoll is home to nearly two million birds each year including the world's largest colony of Laysan Albatrosses. A great number of Albatross chicks die each year due to ingesting lead paint flaking from abandoned buildings and plastic pollution washing up on the beaches.

In June 2006 President Bush established the world's largest fully-protected marine conservation area, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The monument designation ensures the protection of these islands, the coral reefs, the unique native species and cultural and historic resources. The monument is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Hawaii. This partnership is working to restore the wildlife and habitat, remove marine debris from the coral reefs and islands, and promote greater public awareness of this unique part of the world.

People everywhere have a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment. The trash we throw away can have harmful consequences on wildlife and the environment far from home. President Bush joins me in encouraging all Americans to reduce the amount of plastic we use in our daily lives; re-use the plastic we already have; and buy items made of recycled materials and those that can be recycled. Our efforts will help ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.

Laura Bush

The White House

Washington