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Fishing waste chokes marine wildlife, threatens human health in Argentina's Patagonia

Mountains of plastic waste from the fishing industry have actually covered the coast along the Valdes Peninsula in Argentina's Patagonia, threatening the lives of sea lions, fish, penguins and whales and also endangering human health.

The coasts of the peninsula on Argentina's Atlantic coast, declared a World Heritage Website by UNESCO for its natural appeal, have been dotted with crates, webs, buoys and other fishing tools thrown into the sea and cleaned ashore.

These plastics are comprised of chemicals and contaminants that can trigger a number of illness in both humans and marine fauna, stated Diego Gonzalez, a biologist studying commercial fishing waste.

Reuters journalists recorded scenes of animal carcasses decaying amongst piles of plastic litter on the beach of Pico Sayago, while other critters continued to navigate around the trash.

The Valdes Peninsula, 1,000 kilometers south of Buenos Aires, is one of the primary tourist destinations in the country. It is also a marine mammal conservation site and home to large populations of best whales as well as elephant seals, sea lions and penguins.

Gonzalez, from the national scientific research company CONICET, stated there were prospective long-term concerns as the plastics on the beach break down.

Due to the currents, the sun or even the passage of time, these plastics can break down to end up being microplastics, Gonzalez said.

The so-called microplastics can then be consumed by marine life, and then later on, by human beings, he discussed.

The amount of plastic waste streaming into oceans and choking marine life could triple in the next 20 years unless business and federal governments take drastic efforts to end discarding, according to a 2020 study by Bench Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ.

(source: Reuters)