Suffering of the seal caught in a tide of plastic litter
ITS fur and flesh sliced away by the netting caught around its neck, this young grey seal is the latest victim of the rubbish littering our oceans.
The stricken creature was left with a deep wound more than an inch wide all around its head after being caught in the garrotte-like nylon net.
Luckily the seal was spotted by a wildlife rescue group, who were able to cut away the netting.
But many others are not so fortunate, with conservationists warning that scores of other creatures have died as a result of discarded netting. The seal’s ordeal ended when it was spotted at a remote West Cornish cove by seal researchers Sue Sayer and Kate Hockley.
A team of experts from Cornish Wildlife abseiled down a steep cliff to gain access to the spot. They managed to calm the injured seal before cutting away the netting and cleaning the deep wound. It was then safe to release the seal into the sea.
Tamara Cooper, curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, worked with the Cornish Wildlife team, including volunteer Dan Jarvis, and the researchers on the rescue. ‘It struggled a lot at first, but by straddling its back and covering its head with a towel I was able to quieten it down while Dan and Sue carefully cut away the netting,’ she said.
‘The wound was very deep, especially across the back of its neck, but now the line has been removed the saltwater should keep it clean and we are confident it will heal.’
The group said the incident highlighted the hazard that discarded netting poses to wildlife.
Miss Sayer said: ‘The Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust has recorded 300 net-entangled seals in the last 18 years.
‘Many have not been as lucky as this latest victim, and many have undoubtedly died as a result.’
While on the beach, the team also found a large number of plastic bottles and discarded litter. Plastic from bottles is said to be responsible for one-third of the total found on beaches or in the seas, where it is eaten by fish and ends up on our plates.
Bottle recycling efforts in Britain have stalled and an astonishing 15-16million are now thought to be thrown away every day.
The Scottish Daily Mail has called for a crackdown on the tide of plastic bottles, with our Banish the Bottles campaign encouraging the introduction of a deposit return scheme.
Study groups have argued that a deposit scheme would be the most effective way to tackle ocean pollution. The Green Alliance says introducing such a system in the UK could ensure 95 per cent of plastic bottles are collected and recycled.