Is it true that marine debris kills a million seabirds each year?
This statement is currently unknown. We are so far unable to find a scientific reference for this figure. The closest we have found is “214,500 to 763,000 seabirds are killed annually incidental to driftnet fishing by Japanese fishermen in the North Pacific Ocean (US Department of Commerce, 1981)” from Laist, 1987. This refers to active fishing gear bycatch and not marine debris; it also predates the high seas driftnet ban adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. Seabirds live much of their lives at sea or in remote locations. While the number of deaths can be estimated, it is difficult to determine causes of mortality when the carcasses can’t be retrieved.
