Industry interests hampering efforts to reduce marine plastics: Australian inquiry

The importance of multi-million dollar industries to Australia's economy is hampering efforts to protect threatened species of marine life from plastics, a problem that has been described as on par with global warming, a government inquiry has heard.

An Australian federal parliament inquiry, sitting in Sydney on Thursday, is investigating the threat of marine plastic pollution on animals and ecosystems, fisheries, small business and human health in Australia and its waters.

On Thursday, the inquiry heard evidence from scientists and ecologists that micro-plastics, or micro-beads such as those commonly found in common scrubs, face washes, soaps and toothpastes, can affect human health and health of marine animals.

Dr Jennifer Levers from the University of Tasmania said the scale of marine pollution is on par with major environmental challenges such as global warming and sea level rise, however research was chronically underfunded.

"This is a very, very significant, ubiquitous threat that is rapidly increasing in pace, showing absolutely no signs of stopping," Levers told the public inquiry.

"Our understanding of the complex issues, including things like chemical pollution, is so incredibly poor, we're really just starting at the basic level," she added.

Levers said her research has found 11 percent of certain juvenile species they had studied had died as a result of plastics and chemical pollution, however getting threatened species on the Threat Abatement Plan had been hitting "roadblocks".

Levers suspected efforts to protect the threatened species will be continually hampered if they come up against industries worth millions of dollars to the Australian economy.

Environmental groups project that with effective intervention, such as plastic recycling or container refund schemes, Australia's maritime plastic pollution input could be reduced by more than 50 percent within five years.

"(Plastic) is a fantastic product ... but it is a horrific waste material," Clean Up Australia executive chairman Ian Kiernan told the inquiry.

"It is so durable, it is so cumulative. We have got to change our behaviour to address these problems."

However until then, the conservative estimate of 56,000 tons of plastic entering Australia's environment annually will continue.

And with 30 percent of marine fish in the world's oceans considered to have plastic in their gut, Levers said there is "no doubt we are eating residual plastic contamination." Endit