Waste and Lord Howe Island’s seabirds
 Lord Howe Island is one of Australia’s truly spectacular places. The World Heritage-listed island is well known for its abundant wildlife, particularly the 203 bird species recorded there. The Island has been identified by Birds Australia as an Important Bird Area for both endemic birds and seabirds, and has globally significant populations of Providence Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Little Shearwater, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Lord Howe Woodhen and Grey Ternlet.
Yet there’s trouble in paradise. Research reported recently in The Age shows that “staggering” amounts of plastic are being found in Flesh-footed Shearwaters breeding in colonies on Lord Howe Island, their only breeding site in eastern Australia. They are apparently mistaking plastic for food. More than 200 pieces of plastic were found in one bird’s stomach, and 95% of nesting shearwaters had at least some plastic in their digestive systems. The sharp-edged fragments of plastic tear the birds’ internal organs, block their digestion and leak toxic substances into their bodies: mercury levels (toxic to birds at 4 parts per million) were up to 30,000 ppm in some of these shearwaters.
 In addition to Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Black-winged Petrels, Sooty Terns, Masked Boobies and White Terns on Lord Howe Island may also be affected by ingesting plastic.
This is an alarming reminder about the direct impact of our waste when it gets into waterways and eventually finds its way to the ocean.
The Biodiversity Management Plan for the Lord Howe Island identified the consumption of plastic by the seabirds of Lord Howe Island as a conservation issue. It also identified a number of other issues, including predation by introduced rodents, long-line fishing, climate change and urbanisation, which also have a negative impact on the populations of these species on Lord Howe Island.
- You can help protect seabirds from plastic and other pollution by disposing of your waste carefully, in a recycling bin if possible. Remember that rubbish dumped in gutters, drains and waterways reaches the ocean. Always take your litter home from the beach and pick up any rubbish that you might find at the beach before it makes its way into the ocean.
- You can reduce the amount of plastic waste by purchasing products with less packaging.
- You can look for alternatives to plastic wherever possible. Many people are unaware that quite a few alternatives such as plant-based packaging and products (like toothbrushes made from bamboo by-products) are available in shops right now. In many cases, these products look just like plastic, so they can be easily overlooked unless you read the label.
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