A group of cross-party MPs have urged the government to create a new global alliance tasked with protecting the seas.
With plastic pollution set to treble in the next decade, according to environmental audit committee, ensuring seas don’t become a “sewer” should now be a priority.
MPs have recommended a “Paris agreement for the sea”, where governments across the globe unite to make a difference. Chair of the committee, Labour MP Mary Creagh, has also called for the government to bring forward the date of phasing out avoidable plastic waste, which is currently targeted for 2042.
In an interview with The Guardian, Creagh, said: “We have to stop treating our seas as a sewer. Plastic, chemicals and sewage are choking our oceans, polluting our water and harming every ocean species from plankton to polar bears.”
In response to the pressure put on by Creagh and her colleagues, the UK government responded: “The UK is already a global leader in protecting our seas and oceans. We know there is more to do, and we will soon publish an international ocean strategy to drive global action to conserve the world’s oceans.”