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Elevated levels of ingested plastic in a high Arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
Summary
Researchers found that 87.5% of northern fulmars — seabirds nesting in the high Arctic near Svalbard — had plastic in their stomachs, exceeding pollution thresholds set for European seas. The finding is alarming because it shows plastic contamination has reached even the remote Arctic, raising urgent concerns as commercial shipping routes in the region expand.
Plastic pollution is of worldwide concern; however, increases in international commercial activity in the Arctic are occurring without the knowledge of the existing threat posed to the local marine environment by plastic litter. Here, we quantify plastic ingestion by northern fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, from Svalbard, at the gateway to future shipping routes in the high Arctic. Plastic ingestion by Svalbard fulmars does not follow the established decreasing trend away from human marine impact. Of 40 sampled individuals, 35 fulmars (87.5 %) had plastic in their stomachs, averaging at 0.08 g or 15.3 pieces per individual. Plastic ingestion levels on Svalbard exceed the ecological quality objective defined by OSPAR for European seas. This highlights an urgent need for mitigation of plastic pollution in the Arctic as well as international regulation of future commercial activity.