Marine biologist captures confronting footage of a distressed seagull struggling to untangle its foot from a disposable mask
- YouTube footage shows a seagull unable to free itself from dumped face mask
- Marine biologist Sheree Marris uploaded clip from Victorian beach in October
- She attempted to help the seagull, was unable to get close enough to the bird
- Face masks can take 450 years to break down once dumped in the environment
A confronting video captured by a marine biologist highlights the struggles seagulls and other animals face to rid themselves of disposable face masks.
In her clip uploaded to YouTube, scientist Sheree Marris from Victoria said it was heartbreaking to see the bird in distress on a beach in Rosebud last month.
She attempted to throw her jacket over the seagull so she could cut off the mask from its foot - but sadly was unable to get close enough.
A confronting video uploaded online by a marine biologist highlights the struggles seagulls face to rid themselves of disposable face masks in their living environments
Victoria based scientist Sheree Marris said it was heartbreaking to see the bird in distress on a beach in Rosebud last month
'You can see the straps are already cutting off the circulation to the bird's leg,' Ms Marris said.
'It will eventually drop off, risk infection and make the bird more vulnerable to predators and no doubt cut short its life.'
Ms Marris also revealed she is frequently seeing this type of pollution during her daily walks and drives along the coastline.
According to Science Daily studies estimate 129 billion face masks are used globally every month.
There are also growing fears dumped face masks could become the 'next plastic problem'.
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In Australia anti-waste campaigners are begging the public to consider more sustainable alternatives to the familiar blue and white surgical masks, warning of an ecological disaster.
'People need to remember that whatever we drop on a footpath or on a roadside is likely to end up in a waterway,' Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan told the ABC.
'They (face masks) are made up of a variety of plastics … they can take up to 450 years to break down if they are dropped in the environment.'
Ominously, an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of plastic waste has been generated worldwide daily since the start of the pandemic.
The seagull was unable to free itself of the discarded face mask in the clip uploaded to YouTube
Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan revealed it can take up to 450 years for face masks to break down once dumped
