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Busselton tide toxic to wildlife

Patricia BoltBusselton Dunsborough Times
Monitor lizard caught in a can.
Camera IconMonitor lizard caught in a can.

Walk to the beachfront after a storm and it’s as though the waves have brought in every bit of rubbish from the ocean floor.

Bring a bag, and you’ll pick up plastic bottles, plastic bags, cans, glass, fishing gear, clothing, mobile phones and more.

We are all aware of the consequences of litter on our marine wildlife. We see pictures of it tangled in fishing line, plastic rings around necks and beaks, stomachs and nests filled with an array of items discarded by society.

These creatures have no way of knowing the millions of pieces of floating waste in our oceans are dangerous to them.

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It is not only our marine creatures that are suffering.

We need to take a closer look in our own backyards, parks and forests. The situation is not any better.

Magpies are a notable example as they love to pick up colourful items for their nest-building. This mostly non- biodegradable material increases the risk of entanglement, amputation and nestling deaths. Reptiles are victims too, with heads stuck in bottles or cans.

Even throwing an apple core out of the car window can contribute to roadkill.

The solution?

Make sure you tie garbage bags, and your bin lids are tightly closed. Wash out cans and bottles as the smell attracts creatures.

Knot plastic bags, crush aluminium cans flat, cut ringed plastics and elastic bands, take your poisons to the tip, and don’t release balloons into the atmosphere.

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