Activity 3.3.3.1 - Current Events in Plastic Pollution

 

1. Exploratory                                

Probe basic facts and knowledge found in the readings. (What research evidence supports _________? Type up several facts and basic knowledge from the readings. Relate this to what you find in other resources, prior activities for stronger scores.))

Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) or “ghost gear” may end up in the great pacific garbage patch or spread across the ocean, usually lost unintentionally. This ghost gear amounts to between 500,000 and 1 million tons a year, contributing about 20% of plastic waste in the ocean (Bryce 2022). It is considered the most deadly form of marine plastic debris (WWF 2020) and costs millions of dollars to clean up. The ocean cleanup takes samples from the great pacific garbage patch to decipher the main sources of plastic waste, but they need to study the other garbage patches for a full picture of the source of plastic pollution. To solve this issue, some entities are making biodegradable fishing gear and satellite traceable buoys. There are also gear buy-back and recycling programs to minimize waste. In Canada it is mandatory to report lost gear and the Thai union requires suppliers to mark non-biodegradable parts of fishing devices increasing accountability (Bryce 2022). The UN is currently negotiating a treaty that addresses the issue of ghost gear (UN 2022).

 

2. Diagnostic                                   

Probe motives or causes.  (Why? (Tell your reader why this occurs. Explain the causes in detail.))

Ghost gear ends up in the ocean as pollution on accident. This can happen when gear breaks, snags on the sea floor, gear is poorly stored, or from stormy weather (Bryce 2022). The gear is then carried away by currents and becomes lost.

 

3. Cause and Effect                        

Causal relationships between ideas, actions, or events. (If __________ occurs, what happens?)

Fishing gear gets lost in the ocean and the currents help it travel through the ocean to the great pacific garbage patch or another gyrating patch of waste (Bryce 2022). While the plastic travels, it can entangle wildlife, be consumed, or cause harm some other way. Through endangering wildlife, the oceanic ecosystems and those that depend on it, including humans, may incur negative effects.

 

4. Priority                                        

Seek to identify the most important issue. (What is the most important issue?)

The issue of ghost gear is perpetuated by the lack of accountability and regulation (Bryce 2022). While some places have rules or programs aiming to minimize the production of waste, it is mostly voluntary, making the efforts ineffective. Legislation, policy enforcement, and international cooperation is necessary to see noticeable change.

 

5. Application                                 

Probe for relationships and connect theory to practice. (How does this apply to you? How is this related to culture as we have studied so far?)

In our coursework, we are currently learning about microplastics and water pollution. As a future educator and conservationist, I hope to teach others about the dangers of their plastic waste and how it affects the ecosystem. I occasionally teach young children how to fish and I can iterate to them how important it is to leave no waste behind.

 

6. Critical                                         

Analyze how this challenges your thinking/assumptions. (How did this change your thinking? Did it? Why?)

I never put much thought into how fishing gear may contribute to plastic pollution. When I think about the possible harmful effects of fishing, I typically think of overfishing or fishing line and hooks being lost. This article has expanded my view of waste produced by the fishing industry.

 

References

Bryce, E. (2022, November 7). ‘An invisible killer’: how fishing gear became the deadliest marine plastic. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/07/invisible-killer-ghost-fishing-gear-deadliest-marine-plastic

United Nations. (2022, March 2). Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution [press release]. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/historic-day-campaign-beat-plastic-pollution-nations-commit-develop

World Wide Fund For Nature. (2020). Stop ghost gear. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/3c1g4qur2t_ADVOCACY_REPORT_singles.pdf?_ga=2.216641302.1449930867.1665414123-384548275.1665414122