Marine plastic is taking its toll on Grassholm Island's gannets

9th May

By David Lynch  @Davidintherain Reporter

VOLUNTEERS are risking their lives to save seabirds from plastic pollution on one of Pembrokeshire’s islands, according to a photographer.

Bristol-based wildlife photographer Sam Hobson visited Grassholm Island, eight miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, to document an RSPB rescue mission to cut free gannets entangled in manmade waste.

While on the island, which is a breeding ground for 36,000 gannet pairs, he took a photograph of one of the birds with trapped in a net.

"This panicked adult gannet struggled as it dangled from a cliff side, with ropes twisted around its neck like a hangman's noose.

"The brave volunteers risked their own lives to creep to the edge of the cliff top and rescue this bird from its death sentence," Mr Hobson told the BBC.

The birds fly out to sea to collect seaweed to line their nest, but often pick up piece of plastic and other manmade waste.

"The gannets line their nests with these man-made plastic fibres and their nests become death-traps, entangling adult birds and juveniles as they develop inside the nest," Mr Hobson added.

There are an estimated 20 tonnes of plastic waste on Grassholm Island.

Continued

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The RSPB landed on Grassholm island, eight miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, to cut free young gannets from the fishing ropes and nets that adults use to build nests.

Greg Morgan, warden for the RSPB reserve, said there is so much fishing gear floating in the water around the island that the birds mistake it for the seaweed that they should be using.

He said: "We estimate there are 18 tonnes of plastic in the nests on the island.

"The chicks sit on the nest. As they turn, the plastic gets twisted around their leg and ensnares them.

"They should have flown away by now. Eventually the adults give up and they are left to starve."

We saw birds with plastic twine twisted so tight around their legs that it had cut through to the bone.

Other birds were already dead, their feet tethered to the nest by rope.

Continued