Crisis and Change: The governance of marine plastic pollution

By WANG Xiaoqiong

Abstract: With the expansion of industrial production, human activities continue to extend to the ocean. The resources that humans obtain from the ocean and the pollutants discharged through the ocean have far exceeded the scope that the ocean can absorb or restore. Studies have found that more than 8 million tons of plastic waste flows into the ocean every year. From discarded fishing nets, cigarette filters to plastic bags, plastic waste floods the marine environment and poses a huge threat to marine ecosystems. In addition to being easily eaten by marine life, marine plastic pollution also has “hidden” hazards. To deal with marine plastic pollution, coordinated global plastic pollution governance is essential; it is also increasingly urgent to strengthen public education and raise awareness of public participation. By introducing the current status and harms of marine plastic pollution, this article calls on the international community to lead the protection of the marine environment in the right direction with a positive tide.

Key words: Marine environment, ecosystem, plastic pollution, microplastics, biodiversity

WANG Xiaoqiong. Crisis and Change: The governance of marine plastic pollution. BioGreen - Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development. Vol. 1, June 2023. Total Issues 41. ISSN2749-9065