What would a to-go polystyrene coffee cup, a plastic bag from the grocery store and an abandoned fishing net have in common? Two things, actually. First, they are among the millions of pounds of marine debris found in our ocean and coastal waters. Second, they are among the chief targets of the Implementation Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Ocean Litter, a report adopted by the OPC on November 20, 2008. The report aims to change how California generates, handles and disposes items that frequently land in our ocean. Sixteen recommendations ranging from smoking bans to education initiatives were made with three as top priority actions. The goal is to reduce the amount of litter that accumulates in the ocean, especially the 60-80% that is lightweight and buoyant plastic material. This litter kills marine life, including endangered species, transports invasive species and toxic pollutants, and damages the aesthetics of the sea.

Despite the MARPOL international treaty prohibition on dumping plastics at sea, debris in the oceans is increasing at an alarming rate. Plastic debris in the area north of Hawaii in the Northwest Pacific Gyre has increased 5-fold in the last 10 years. Similarly, off Japan’s coast, researchers found that floating particles of plastic debris increased 10-fold in 10 years from the 1970s through 1980s, and then 10-fold again every 2-3 years in the 1990s. (more…)