We focus our efforts on generating a better understanding of the problem of marine plastic pollution from fishing operations on the biodiversity of the Patagonian Sea and on promoting comprehensive solutions to prevent it.
It is estimated that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. By 2050, according to estimates by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the oceans could contain more plastic than fish.
Global plastic production soared from two million tons in 1950 to 348 million tons in 2017, and is expected to double that figure by 2040, according to estimates by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Being derived from petroleum, plastics are composed of hydrocarbon molecules that constitute polymers, which remain in water, transforming over time into microplastics (particles smaller than 4 millimeters in size), which can be ingested by numerous living organisms (including humans).
Their negative effects along the entire food chain are the subject of an increasing number of studies around the world.
In addition to molecules and polymers, plastics contain additives in their composition that have effects on human health as “endocrine disruptors” (they interfere in the functioning of hormones), causing hormonal and reproductive disorders, and some are carcinogenic.
The amount of marine debris in coastal areas, surface, water column and seabed of the Patagonian Sea is increasing, to the detriment of ecosystems, biodiversity and human health.
Worldwide, estimates indicate that 20% of the plastics present in the oceans originate from fishing and other marine activities. In the case of fishing, they come from abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear and inadequate waste management on ships.
The amount of plastic waste generated by the commercial fishing industry doubled in the last 50 years, from 340,000 to 640,000 tons per year.
The most frequently documented impacts of plastic pollution are entanglement and macroplastic ingestion. Marine vertebrate species – especially turtles, birds and mammals – ingest plastic debris, leading to malnutrition, muscular problems, disease and increased mortality. Birds, sea lions, fish, turtles and cetaceans become entangled in plastic debris, suffering serious injuries and mortality.
In the case of the Franciscana dolphin, which inhabits the coasts of Buenos Aires, dead specimens have been found whose autopsy determined that they had ingested bags, cellophane paper, fishing lines (monofilament), and fragments of ropes and nets.
The South American fur seal -characteristic of the southern coast of Brazil and northern Argentina- have also been found dead due to entanglement in fishing lines or plastic bags. The southern right whale and the elephant seals of the Patagonian coast of Argentina are also affected by entanglement and ingestion of fishing lines, plastic bags, nets and squid fishing lures.
As for birds, plastic affects albatrosses, petrels, seagulls and penguins, both through ingestion, entanglement, and the poisoning of their chicks by using plastic to build their nests.
In addition, plastic waste is a mortal threat to sea turtles and fish such as silversides, corvinas and bivalves, and even plankton itself, due to strangulation and ingestion of microplastics.
For all these reasons, since its inception, the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence has been working to prevent plastic pollution from fisheries and to reduce its impact on the biodiversity of the Patagonian Sea, with continuous training for the fishing sector, cleaning beaches and coastal areas, and promoting the sustainable management of marine resources, hand in hand with the circular economy.
Knowledge
We generate updated diagnoses of the causes and impacts of marine plastic pollution from fishing operations in the Patagonian Sea.
Strengthening
We provide technical advice to strengthen regulatory frameworks. We support the training of the fishing sector in best waste management practices. We promote the generation of effective work protocols for cleaning up fishing waste.
Solutions
We promote the development of adequate infrastructure for the management of fishing waste at ports in the region. We encourage collaboration between institutions and the development of initiatives that promote a circular economy.
We worked on programs and campaigns to reduce plastic waste in the Patagonian Sea.
We flew over more than 1,300 km of Chubut’s Patagonian coastline to survey the areas where fishing waste accumulates, assess the magnitude of the problem and propose joint solutions with key stakeholders.
We removed more than 16 tons of fishing waste from the Patagonian coasts of Chubut, working together with governments and the private sector.
We supported capacity building for more than 400 people on the issue of plastic pollution from fisheries, including captains, shipboard officers, fishermen, coastal community members and communicators.
We conduct studies, publications and documents to disseminate information on this issue.
Networking is fundamental among Forum member organizations and is a key component of the success of the Plastic Pollution Working Group.
