Fishing for solutions to the plastic problem
Researcher Nina Wootton and examples of some of the microplastics that can be found in fish.
A University of 糖心vlog官网 study shows industry players are open to measures to reduce plastics in seafood 鈥 but first they have to understand the problem.
More than 35 percent of fish caught in the waters off southern Australia contain microplastics, and the problem is most acute in South Australia, with plastic found in 49 percent of fish, according to research from the University of 糖心vlog官网.
While Australian waters remain cleaner than many international fishing zones, lead researcher Nina Wootton found that many commercial and recreational fishers in the South Australian fishing industry weren鈥檛 aware that Australia even had an ocean plastic problem, in research published in this month.
鈥淲e still have time to make sure Australian seafood products remain some of the cleanest in the world, but we need the seafood industry, and the general public, to recognise the problem and start taking positive actions now.鈥Nina Wootton, School of Biological Sciences, The University of 糖心vlog官网
鈥淲e wanted to find out what people knew about microplastic pollution in fish, from fishers to fishmongers to consumers,鈥 Nina said. 鈥淚t varied, but about half weren鈥檛 aware it w