Merijätettä

Merijätettä, commonly translated as marine debris or sea litter, refers to any man-made objects that are discarded, lost, or intentionally disposed of in the ocean and along coastlines. This includes a vast range of materials, most notably plastics, but also metals, glass, rubber, and textiles. The sources of merijätettä are diverse, stemming from land-based activities such as littering, inadequate waste management, industrial discharge, and sewage outflow, as well as from maritime sources like fishing gear, shipping activities, and offshore platforms.

Once in the marine environment, merijätettä can persist for hundreds or even thousands of years. It poses significant threats to marine ecosystems and wildlife. Animals can ingest debris, mistaking it for food, which can lead to starvation, internal injuries, and death. They can also become entangled in larger items like fishing nets, resulting in drowning, suffocation, or restricted movement. Microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, are of particular concern as they are easily ingested by a wide range of organisms, from plankton to large marine mammals, and can transfer up the food chain.

Merijätettä also impacts human activities, affecting tourism, recreation, and fishing industries. It can damage vessels, clog water intake systems, and contaminate seafood. Efforts to combat merijätettä involve reducing pollution at its source through improved waste management and policy changes, clean-up initiatives to remove existing debris, and raising public awareness about responsible consumption and disposal.