plastic ingestion in seabirds

Inger, there is much information on this topic and a search using the words 'marine debris', 'entanglement' etc will turn up many useful web sites.

I can offer the following information from a Victorian (se Australia) perspective.

This issue has been recognised a threat to marine life under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.  The item listed as a threat is titled 'The discharge of human-generated marine debris into Victorian marine or estuarine waters' and I have a brief Scientific Advisory Committee Final Recommendation Report should you be interested in a copy (contact me directly).

The Recommendation Report identifies a suite of marine and pelagic seabirds and other fauna which are affected by this threat and has numerous links to further information on this issue.

The process of marine debris threat has also been formally recognised by the Federal Government and the following link describes the information considered prior to the listing of this item under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act):

'Injury and fatality to vertebrate marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful marine debris' - See http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ktp/marine-debris.html

New South Wales has also listed the threat.  See: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/marine_debris_ktp_declaration

Feel free to contact me for further advice or information.

cheers

Martin O'Brien
Executive Scientific Officer, Scientific Advisory Committee
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act
Department of Sustainability and Environment
2/8 Nicholson St. (PO Box 500), East Melbourne  3002

Tel: 9637 9869