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World Migratory Bird Day highlights deadly risks of plastic pollution
13.05.2019 10:28 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of last week, the world marked the World Migratory Bird Day (established within 2006 by the UN to be held on the second weekend of May every year); this year the Day is focused on the serious threats that plastic pollution poses to bird life, UN Radio reports.
As to the report, while commenting on the Day, Joyce Msuya, acting Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), admitted that urgent measures are needed to end the problem.
As to her, the threats to the bird life is posed by such factors as the birds becoming caught up in fishing gear and other plastic debris; confusing plastic waste with food and eating it, which fills their stomachs and causes them to starve; and using debris as material for nest-building, which can harm their chicks.
«One-third of global plastic production is non-recyclable and at least eight million tons of plastic flows unabated into our oceans and water bodies each year. It is ending up in the stomachs of birds, fish, plankton, and in our soil and water. The world is choking on plastic and so too are our birds, on which so much life on Earth depends,» she stressed.
"There are no easy solutions to the plastic problem. However, as this year’s World Migratory Bird Day underlines, everybody on this planet can be part of the solution and take steps to reduce their use of single-use plastic. Tackling this problem globally will not only be beneficial for us, but also benefit our planet’s wildlife, including millions of migratory birds, " Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the AEWA (African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement), emphasized.
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