Blogpost

17 November 2020

Anglers Needed to Fight the Plastic Tide

It’s no secret that plastic is suffocating our seas. From tiny microplastics invisible to the naked eye making their way up our food chains to enormous ghost nets engulfing marine life and taking them to their watery grave. Our oceans are in crisis.

If we don’t do something the amount of plastic entering our seas is expected to triple by 2040 and will do irreversible damage to the health of our marine environment, and consequently our fishing.

Some of the biggest plastic offenders are from the fishing industry, and while the commercial fishing sector dominates this, we must not forget that as recreational sea anglers we also have our part to play in fighting the plastic tide.

Our fishing line in particular can do catastrophic damage to marine life by entangling everything from the largest to the smallest species. Everyday plastics, like packaging, can be ingested by marine life too, having devastating consequences for our wildlife.

With both foraging and catching for the table rising in popularity, it’s also in our interests to reduce plastic pollution as bioaccumulation – the process where plastic travels up the food chain – can have harmful impacts on human health.

It’s estimated that at current rates there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 – we have to take action, be responsible citizens and reduce our consumption of pesky plastics. As anglers and users of our precious coastline it is partly our responsibility to take care of our seas. The future of sea angling depends upon a healthy marine environment.

So, what now? Anglers Against Pollution is the Angling Trust’s new flagship campaign seeking to hold the Government to account on pollution across our water environments. You can join us today by signing our petition and adding your voice to our fight for a clean environment for our fish.

How Can You Help?

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