Recreational Boating Research Articles

Integrating Cultural Ecosystem Services in an Ecosystem Satellite Account: A Case Study in the Gulf of Saint-Malo (France)

This paper develops an accounting approach for estimating cultural ecosystem services. Ecosystem satellite accounts should be able to include cultural ecosystem services, which raise numerous assessment difficulties. A new assessment method is proposed, which uses the production for own use of households who carry out recreational activities depending on cultural ecosystem services. An application is carried out in the Gulf of Saint-Malo (France). A survey was implemented in order to collect the accounting data. Six recreational activities mixing the consumption of pure leisure (mainly sport) and marine cultural ecosystem services (mainly fishing and seascape watching) were considered: onshore fishing and shellfish gathering; hiking; recreational boating and offshore fishing; canoeing and kayaking; light sailing; scuba-diving and underwater fishing.The results show that the household production value for these six marine and coastal recreational activities in the Gulf of Saint-Malo ranges between 210 M€ and 276 M€, contributing to 97% of the output of recreational services for these activities. It means that the current national accounting system captures only 3% of the output of marine recreational activities. About 82% of production means are devoted to the consumption cultural ecosystem services, while the remaining part of the production value is assigned to the consumption of sportive services. Hence, the production value associated to the main uses of marine cultural ecosystem services can be estimated at between 172 and 226 M€, with respective value-added of 110 M€ and 154 M€. These results definitively point out the necessity of distinguishing recreational services which depend only on human activities from cultural ecosystem services which depend on outputs from ecosystem processes, in order to avoid over-estimating or confusing estimates of marine cultural ecosystem services.

MODELING, SIMULATION AND MODEL OPTIMIZATION OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FOR PHERB POWERTRAIN

Internal combustion engine (ICE) is the most important part in vehicle. Generally, the combustion of ICE is facilitated by petrol and exhaust gas emission from vehicles is a primary contributor to the environmental pollution problem. In this research, Plug-in hybrid electric recreational boat (PHERB) is introduced and PHERB has a combination of energy storage system, ICE and electric machine. The objective of this work is to derive a detailed model of ICE in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment, develop proportional-integral (PI) controller for ICE and optimize ICE using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based on PI controller. The efficiency of ICE for PHERB obtained was 40 % at rotational speed 4000 rpm of the engine. Via using the GA, the optimal performance of ICE is found by power demand curve, as a reference for the model with mutation probability used is 0.085. In terms of the performance results, the optimal tuning parameters of ICE for PHERB had a significantly improved performance towards green and clean technology.

A Microcluster Approach Applied to the Case of the Nautical Tourism Sector of the Algarve Region (Portugal)

The article characterizes and evaluates the strategic role played by nautical tourism, in general, and by marinas, in particular, in terms of increasing Algarve's competitiveness, reducing tourism seasonality, and generating multiplier effects in connected industries. Central to the analysis is the notion that a marina is an economic unit that provides concentrated services (as opposed to producing a physical product), working as an "anchor" for the surrounding firms and, as such, naturally giving rise to a local cluster. The adequacy to transfer the cluster concept from manufacture to tourism is also discussed. The methodology chosen is an application of the Porter cluster model to the nautical tourism sector in the Algarve, where each component of the diamond model (factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, firms' strategy, structure, and rivalry)—besides its two external factors (historical factors/chance and public policies)—is analyzed. The adopted Porter model is tested on each and every one of the above "diamond" dimensions based on statistical data, a literature review (which includes an international benchmarking analysis), and in primary data collected through a survey launched in 2014 to the totality of the Algarve companies in the sectors of nautical tourism and recreational boating, and interviews involving the Algarve marinas' Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Recommendations to strengthen the aspects identified as more problematic are also included as well as future research guidelines. In particular, the issue of coopetition, identified as a major weakness, is discussed both theoretically and empirically.

Comparison between the marine soundscape of recreational boat mooring areas with that of a pristine area in the Mediterranean: Evidence that such acoustic hot-spots are detrimental to ecologically sensitive habitats

We investigated the potential to use passive acoustics to access the impact of recreational boat mooring areas on ecologically sensitive habitats in the Western Mediterranean. One important consequence of the tourist industry in the region is that it targets the most pristine and ecologically sensitive habitats. Underwater sounds were recorded in mooring areas in Ibiza, Formentera and Tabarca harbors during high use and low use seasons and compared to recordings in the Tabarca Marine Protected area. At each location, we recorded sounds during 20 min at three different sites, for three random sampling times during the day. The percent of time occupied by selected biological (drums and croaks) and anthropogenic sounds (boat and mooring chain noises), and call rates of selected fish sounds were measured and compared among sites and seasons. Biological sounds contributed significantly less to the soundscape in mooring areas during the tourist season, and to the reserve in both seasons. Our study demonstrates ...

Australian landscape art as a contributor to environmental management planning at Berrys Bay (Sydney Harbour)

ABSTRACTThis article examines the landscape artworks of a prominent Sydney Harbour site as an aid for long-term environmental management planning. One hundred and fifty-one Australian paintings of the scenery around Berrys Bay – beginning at the earliest days of settlement, and held since in eminent collections – offer data on subject matter, changes in these subjects over more than two centuries, and viewpoints that differ from those offered by current techniques to measure visual amenity. The viewing by a large number of this country’s renowned landscape artists around Berrys Bay is in the environmental context of Sydney Harbour rather than of Waverton Peninsula, and from the waterway rather than the land. The artworks show progressively pioneering, industrial and recreational boats set in a background of an increasingly unnatural (urban) landscape – results which reinforce the ecological conclusion that the area is, contrary to public perception, a cultural rather than natural landscape. This dictates that management should be restorative rather than preservative in approach, a matter then mainly for landscape architects studiously employing ecological design principles. The enduring interest in the cultural landscape may well also garner direction for heritage conservation measures.

When plenty is not enough: an assessment of the white stumpnose (Rhabdosargus globiceps) fishery of Saldanha Bay, South Africa

White stumpnose Rhabdosargus globiceps is the main target of the linefishery in Saldanha Bay. Increased fishing pressure over the last three decades, particularly by the recreational sector, has led to concerns regarding sustainability of the local white stumpnose stock. The fishery was exceptionally productive between 2006 and 2008, with an estimated annual catch of 141.2 tonnes (t). Only 3% of boat outings surveyed were commercial boats targeting white stumpnose, yet this sector accounted for 39.3 t (31%) of the average annual catch. The recreational boat sector accounted for most of the catch (70.0 t), and the recreational shore sector the least (31.9 t). Commercial boat catch per unit effort (CPUE; 3.7 fish angler–1 h–1) was more than 10 times that of recreational boats (0.3 fish angler–1 h–1). White stumpnose catch length-frequency differed significantly (p < 0.01) between the fishing sectors, with the commercial sector retaining larger fish (34.7 cm [SD 5.9]) than the recreational boat (33.9 cm [SD 5.9]) and shore (30.4 cm [SD 5.8]) sectors. A decline in commercial CPUE (2000–2015) of approximately 40% and a concomitant severe decline (>95%) in survey data for juvenile white stumpnose CPUE (2007–2016) indicate that the current rate of exploitation is not sustainable. Recovery of the white stumpnose stock will require a decrease in fishing mortality. Possible management regulations include sector-specific effort limitations, extending the ‘no take’ marine protected area, reducing the recreational-sector bag limit to 5 fish person–1 day–1, implementing a commercial-sector bag limit, and increasing the minimum size limit to 30 cm TL.

Recreational boaters value biodiversity: The case of the California Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Marine ecosystems provide a range of valuable services, some of which come with market prices to quantify value and others for which markets have not set prices. Lacking perfect information, policy makers are at risk of undercounting non-priced values and services, leading to biases in policy decisions in favor of services valued through markets. Furthermore, understanding users’ valuation of specific site attributes, such as marine biodiversity, can contribute to effective policy decisions. This paper presents a non-market valuation of private recreational boaters (PRBs) in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary located in California, USA, using data from an intercept survey conducted in 2006 and 2007. A Random Utility Model is used to estimate PRBs’ daily trip values and the importance of specific site attributes. The average consumer surplus was estimated at $48.62 per trip, with a total non-market value of non-consumptive private recreational boating of $86,325 annually. PRBs show a preference for visiting locations with lower exposure to prevailing winds and greater species richness and abundance, which to the authors’ knowledge is the first time that PRBs have been found to value biological diversity in site choices. Furthermore, this suggests that improved biodiversity and productivity of marine ecosystems contribute to better recreational experiences. The results from this study reveal the importance of including non-market services and stakeholder's preferences into policy decisions.

Freedom, part-time pirates, and poo police: Regulating the heterotopic space of the recreational boat

At all levels of governance from international convention to local policy, the regulation of pollution from boats and ships has been steeped in conflict and subject to resistance. Recreational boaters, in particular, are often highly resistant to attempts to regulate their boating activity, particularly on environmental grounds. Such ongoing resistance poses a significant policy compliance challenge. This paper seeks to shed light on this complex, ongoing and broader field of opposition to environmental management by way of a case study analysis of resistance to on-board sewage regulations on the part of recreational boaters in Queensland, Australia. This resistance on the part of ‘everyday’ citizens is examined through the lens of heterotopia. In consequence, the paper can contribute to understandings more broadly of problems beleaguering environmental policy while also attending to the deeply implicated social roles of recreational boating spaces; namely as heterotopias of compensation and/or illusion. It also highlights how these heterotopic positionings are intensified by the scatological orientation of the policy under study.

Economic effects and the efficacy of intervention: exploring unintended effects of management and policy on the spread of non-indigenous species

Models have been well developed describing human movements as vectors of the spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). However, to be maximally useful, predictions need to be integrated with management models of how different policies change human behaviour and lead to concurrent changes in invasion risk. Using the dispersal of freshwater organisms by recreational boaters as our study system and mandatory boat washing as our management strategy, we conducted a survey of recreational boaters (n = 580 respondents, t = 2354 boating trips) in Ontario, Canada, and performed counterfactual analysis of boater behavior across different management options. We developed a model to quantify three responses to mandatory boat washing policies: (1) the continued use of a policy lake; (2) switching to a non-policy lake (“trip redistribution”); or, (3) a reduction in boating trips (“trip loss”). We found that boater and locational traits did not have a significant effect, but even modest user fees at washing stations greatly influenced trip redistribution and loss, explaining 87% of the variation in boater choices. These results indicate that user fees can strongly reduce the effectiveness of boat washing programs to mitigate invasion risk and could have unintended local economic effects, supporting the need to minimize boater expense as a program goal. In contrast, only minor redistribution and loss occurred if users washed but did not pay, and when taken together with the lack of effect for boater and locational traits, suggest that simple human-mediated dispersal models would be sufficient to prioritize management actions under “zero fee” scenarios. Simulating management scenarios using an existing spread model for 10 aquatic NIS in Ontario further emphasized the benefit of zero fees. Although averted invasions increased monotonically with effort (number of lakes with washing stations), the relative effectiveness (number of invasions averted per unit effort) was high even with management of a single lake, given zero fees, but required washing stations at far more lakes to maximize relative effectiveness when user fees were imposed.

Survey Methods for Estimating Red Snapper Landings in a High‐Effort Recreational Fishery Managed with a Small Annual Catch Limit

AbstractBefore the Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus stock in the southeastern U.S. Atlantic was formally assessed, recreational harvest was permitted year‐round. However, in 2010, all sectors of the fishery were closed to immediately end overfishing. In recent years, the recreational fishery for Red Snapper in the region has been managed with a substantially reduced catch limit and an annual harvest season ranging from 0 to 8 d. To obtain a precise estimate of recreational harvest over this reduced time scale, a new creel survey method was developed in Florida, where the majority of Red Snapper landings in the region occur. The fishery was intensely monitored during the short sample window when the harvest season was open, and the survey design took advantage of choke points at ocean inlets that restrict recreational boat access to offshore fishing grounds. Landings estimates from this specialized survey were more precise than the general survey that has historically been used in the region to monitor saltwater recreational fisheries over larger spatial and temporal scales. Fishing effort was highly concentrated, and the fishery was capable of reaching the small annual catch limit over the short time periods allowed. Fishing effort and landings were highest between Ponce Inlet and Cape Canaveral, and the majority of Red Snapper were harvested from shallow depths (&lt;29 m). Fish from shallow depths were approximately equally distributed among younger (1–5 years) and older age‐classes. However, as fishing moved into deeper waters (≥29 m), a greater proportion of fish were older than 5 years. Precise landings estimates from the survey enabled managers to monitor the recreational fishery against a small annual catch limit, and the survey also revealed spatial patterns of effort and CPUE in the region's private boat segment of the recreational fishery, which had been poorly understood.Received May 13, 2016; accepted November 5, 2016 Published online February 22, 2017

Drivers of redistribution of fishing and non-fishing effort after the implementation of a marine protected area network.

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is increasingly utilized to sustainably manage ocean uses. Marine protected areas (MPAs), a form of spatial management in which parts of the ocean are regulated to fishing, are now a common tool in MSP for conserving marine biodiversity and managing fisheries. However, the use of MPAs in MSP often neglects, or simplifies, the redistribution of fishing and non-fishing activities inside and outside of MPAs following their implementation. This redistribution of effort can have important implications for effective MSP. Using long-term (14yr) aerial surveys of boats at the California Channel Islands, we examined the spatial redistribution of fishing and non-fishing activities and their drivers following MPA establishment. Our data represent 6yr of information before the implementation of an MPA network and 8yr after implementation. Different types of boats responded in different ways to the closures, ranging from behaviors by commercial dive boats that support the hypothesis of fishing-the-line, to behaviors by urchin, sport fishing, and recreational boats that support the theory of ideal free distribution. Additionally, we found that boats engaged in recreational activities targeted areas that are sheltered from large waves and located near their home ports, while boats engaged in fishing activities also avoided high wave areas but were not constrained by the distance to their home ports. We did not observe the expected pattern of effort concentration near MPA borders for some boat types; this can be explained by the habitat preference of certain activities (for some activities, the desired habitat attributes are not inside the MPAs), species' biology (species such as urchins where the MPA benefit would likely come from larval export rather than adult spillover), or policy-infraction avoidance. The diversity of boat responses reveals variance from the usual simplified assumption that all extractive boats respond similarly to MPA establishment. Our work is the first empirical study to analyze the response of both commercial and recreational boats to closure. Our results will inform MSP in better accounting for effort redistribution by ocean users in response to the implementation of MPAs and other closures.

Identifying target factors for interventions to increase boat cleaning in order to prevent spread of invasive species

Overland transport of recreational boats is among the most important distribution vectors for aquatic invasive zebra and quagga mussels between inland waters. Simple measures such as instructing boat owners how to prepare their boat for transport so that the boat does not carry invasive species are considered to be important prevention measures. Nevertheless, the net effects of such measures are poorly understood and the boat cleaning behavior of boat owners has never been studied in detail before the implementation of such preventive measures. Using a “self-report” questionnaire, we investigated the boat cleaning behavior of boat owners in Switzerland where almost no preventive measures have been taken yet. We found that the self-reported boat cleaning rates are high, with 92% of boaters cleaning their boat upon finding mussels attached to their boat and 84% of them cleaning their boat before a transport. Nevertheless, only half of the boat owners report using high pressure washing to clean their boat before overland transport and many use ineffective cleaning methods. We show the importance of informing boat owners on the appropriate methods to remove invasive species from their boat and suggest that high pressure washing facilities should be made available at all potentially infested water bodies. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the boat cleaning behavior could be significantly improved by changing how boat owners value the perceived costs and benefits of cleaning, as well as by increasing their awareness of the potential negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems caused by non-native species. With regard to a possible spread of zebra mussels to uninfested alpine lakes and the imminent spread of quagga mussels in Switzerland, we conclude that the Swiss boating community would be open to accepting implementation of prevention measures.

Small boats as vectors of marine invasion: experimental test of velocity and desiccation as limits

Secondary transport of introduced species can be important in dispersing potentially invasive species, and vectors of transport are often the fouled hulls of small fishing and recreational boats. Likelihood of transport depends on many factors, including resistance of the species to drag forces due to boat velocity and resistance to desiccation. To experimentally test the importance of drag on transport, we attached plates with a preexisting, 4 months old, assemblage of species, on a boat hull that was then subjected to one of three speeds (5, 15 and 20 knots) for 20 min. We experimentally tested desiccation tolerance with colonized plates that were exposed to the air for 3–132 h, after which they were examined for living organisms. A total of 35 taxa were identified, including introduced species, in southern Brazil: the barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite, A. reticulatus and the octocoral Stragulum bicolor. In the drag experiment, all species survived transport. In the desiccation experiment, most species survived more than 6 h (fewer species much longer) of exposure to the air. Our results illustrate that a variety of taxa and growth forms can be transported over regional scales at speeds and travel conditions typical of small boats. They can also survive desiccation conditions typical of overland transportation of small boats. Thus, we recommend that additional management mechanisms must be put in place to reduce the probability of invasion due to secondary transport.

An optimal lithium ion battery for plug-in hybrid electric recreational boat in discharging condition

An optimal lithium ion battery for plug-in hybrid electric recreational boat in discharging condition

Detachment rates of dreissenid mussels after boat hull-mediated overland dispersal

Introductions of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) into hydrologically isolated water bodies have been attributed to overland transport via (recreational) boat hulls. Before a boat becomes a successful vector, mussels must (1) attach to the hull, (2) survive air exposure during overland transport and (3) establish a viable population either after detachment or release of spat during launching or sailing. This study mimics these dispersal barriers and assesses the potential of boat hull-mediated release into a recipient environment for both species. Individuals were allowed to attach to aluminium and fibreglass plates. Hereafter, attached individuals were exposed to air and subsequently submerged again. Zebra mussels had a significantly higher attachment rate than quagga mussels. The percentage of attached dreissenid mussels that detached alive during rewetting ranged between 7.9 and 21.8%. No significant difference was found between species and hull materials. However, alive detachment during rewetting was significantly higher after 24 h compared to 48 h of air exposure. Our data allow modelling introduction pressure of lakes if quantitative data on overland boat movement and the density of attached mussels are available.

Total tin and organotin speciation in historic layers of antifouling paint on leisure boat hulls

Despite their ban on small vessels in 1989 in the EU, organotin compounds (OTCs) are still being released into the environment due to their presence in historic paint layers on leisure boats. 23 paint samples scraped from recreational boats from three countries around the Baltic Sea were analyzed for total tin (Sn) and OTCs. Two antifouling paint products were also subjected to the same analyses. A new method for the detection of Sn in paint flake samples was developed and found to yield more accurate results compared to four different acid digestion methods. A new method was also developed for the extraction of OTCs from ground paint flakes. This endeavor revealed that existing methods for organotin analysis of sediment may not have full recoveries of OTCs if paint flakes are present in the sample. The hull paint samples had Sn concentrations ranging from 25 to 18,000 mg/kg paint and results showed that tributyltin (TBT) was detected in all samples with concentrations as high as 4.7 g (as Sn)/kg paint. TBT was however not always the major OTC. Triphenyltin (TPhT) was abundant in many samples, especially in those originating from Finland. Several other compounds such as monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tetrabutyltin (TeBT), monophenyltin (MPhT) and diphenyltin (DPhT) were also detected. These could be the result of degradation occurring on the hull or of impurities in the paint products as they were also identified in the two analyzed paint products. A linear correlation (r2 = 0.934) was found between the total tin content and the sum of all detected OTCs. The detection of tin can therefore be used to indicate the presence of OTCs on leisure boats.

Small-scale removal of seagrass (Zostera marina L.): effects on the infaunal community

ABSTRACTEelgrass meadows are a common feature in shallow waters along the Norwegian coast, where they provide a habitat for a diverse infaunal community. Recreational boat anchoring and moorings physically scour seagrass and may affect the ecosystem functioning and resilience of the system to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. A small-scale eelgrass (Zostera marina) removal experiment was conducted to study the effects on macro- and meiofauna. Entire plants, including the rhizomes, were removed from 4 m2 patches in three eelgrass meadows in the inner Oslofjord in October 2010. Core samples were taken after a recovery period of 10 months, from the removed patches as well as from the surrounding meadow. Macrofauna (>500 μm) and meiofauna (63–500 μm) in the sediment were investigated for possible effects of the eelgrass removal. Macrofauna and meiofauna composition were site specific and therefore location was identified as the main determinant for the infaunal community. The eelgrass did not regrow within the recovery period and bare sediment patches with only single eelgrass shoots were present during the sampling. Our analyses support an influence of the removal on individual species, but not the complete community. In particular one species, the gastropod Peringia ulvae, was encountered in higher numbers in samples from the removed patches than in control samples. From a management perspective, such minor removal of eelgrass, on the scale of square metres, appears to have no long-lasting detrimental effect to the infaunal community in sheltered meadows with muddy sediments.

Multi-faceted monitoring of estuarine turbidity and particulate matter provenance: Case study from Salem Harbor, USA

Turbidity is a water quality parameter that is known to adversely affect aquatic systems, however the causes of turbid water are often elusive. We present results of a study designed to constrain the source of particulate matter in a coastal embayment that has suffered from increased turbidity over past decades. Our approach utilized monitoring buoys to quantify turbidity at high temporal resolution complemented by geochemical isotope analysis of suspended sediment samples and meteorological data. Results reveal a complex system in which multiple sources are associated with particulate matter. Weight of evidence demonstrates that phytoplankton productivity in the water column, however, is the dominant source of particulate matter associated with elevated turbidity in Salem Harbor, Massachusetts. Allochthonous matter from the watershed was observed to mix into the pool of suspended particulate matter near river mouths, especially in spring and summer. Resuspension of harbor surface sediments likely provides additional particulates in the regions of boat moorings, especially during summer when recreational boats are attached to moorings. Our approach allows us to constrain the causes of turbidity events in this embayment, is helping with conservation efforts of environmental quality in the region, and can be used as a template for other locations.

Assessing the success of invasive species prevention efforts at changing the behaviors of recreational boaters

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose major conservation challenges in freshwater ecosystems. In response, conservation organizations invest considerable resources in outreach to encourage AIS prevention behaviors among recreational boaters. Despite this, remarkably little is known about whether these efforts catalyze significant changes in boaters’ perceptions, or whether they cause changes in behaviors that reduce AIS risk. We interviewed managers at the 14 Illinois organizations active in AIS outreach to determine regional priorities for, and investment in, AIS outreach. The results show a network of collaboration that reinforces a limited set of conservation messages. Next, we surveyed 515 recreational boaters to evaluate access to outreach, knowledge of AIS, and consistency of prevention behavior. Boater recognition of prevention slogans and knowledge of AIS and AIS prevention behavior was similar across Illinois regions despite large regional differences in investment in outreach. Most boaters (94%) report never intentionally moving organisms among waterbodies. Fewer reported that they Always perform recommended actions to reduce risk of AIS spread on their boat interior (68%), boat exterior (63%), or fishing tackle (47%). Recognition of prevention slogans and the number of AIS recognized were significantly, positively, associated with Always performing AIS prevention behavior on the vectors of the boat exterior, and fishing tackle, respectively. Our results suggest that increasing knowledge may be a necessary condition for higher adoption of AIS prevention behaviors, but that this alone may not be sufficient. Instead, efforts targeted at boaters who do not currently practice the recommended actions are likely to be necessary.

SAMPAH LAUT: ULASAN PENCEMARAN LINGKUNGAN

Man-made debris exist in every ocean and contaminate marine habitats. Solid materials, typically waste, that has found its way to the marine environment is called marine debris. Composed largely of plastics, marine debris can include cigarette filters, baby diapers, automobiles, six-pack rings, beverage bottles and cans, disposable syringes, plastic bags, bottle caps, fishing line and gear, and thousands of other objects. Plastic items are the most abundant type of marine debris on a global scale and plastic is also the most frequently reported material in encounters between debris and marine organisms. There are various sources of marine debris from activities both on land and at sea. Land-based sources include littering, losses from plastic manufacturing plants, landfills and storm drains.While sea-based sources include fishing gear, garbage from shipping and recreational boats, offshore drilling platforms and rigs. Marine debris is more than an unsightly inconvenience for beach-bound vacationers or pleasure boaters. It also affects the inhabitants and economies of coastal and waterside communities worldwide. In addition to the increasingly well-recognised problems that marine debris causes to the environment, coastal communities and marine industries, there is now compelling evidence of the large-scale and serious threat that it poses to the welfare of wild marine animals. The resulting poor welfare, outlined and summarised in this report, creates a compelling argument that marine debris must be viewed not only as a serious environmental, conservation, human health and economic issue, but also as a significant global animal welfare issue that requires urgent action.