CCAMLR

Plastic particles and Other anthropogenic materials were recorded from the regurgitations and the stomachs of seabirds at Macquarie Island; these were ingested both at sea and on land. Eight percent of regurgitated casts from Macquarie Island Cormorants contained polystyrene beads. Plastic particles were recorded from the stomachs of Southern Giant Petrels, Subantarctic Skuas, and Kelp Gulls. Birds examined in 1988 had a higher frequency of occurrence of foreign objects than birds examined prior to 1980.

Sections of coastline of Heard and Macquarie Islands were surveyed for marine debris in summer 1987-88, and 1989 respectively. These surveys were carried out at the same sites of previous surveys in 1986-87 at Heard Island, and 1988 at Macquarie Island. The minimum rate of artefact accumulation was 13 objects km-1 year-1 for Heard Island, and 9.1 objects km-1 year-1 for Macquarie Island. Drift cards released from known locations and collected on the two islands show a similar artefact catchment area. Plastic litter was a major component of the debris at both islands. Fisheries related debris accounted for 40% of all artefacts on Heard Island compared to 29% on Macquarie Island. Entanglement of fur seals appears to be more common at Heard Island, while plastic ingestion by seabirds appears more common at Macquarie Island.

The coastline of subantarctic Macquarie Island (54° 35’S, 158° 55’E) was surveyed over an eight week period in 1988 to determine types, quantities, and possible sources of marine debris. Lost fishing gear consisted of buoys, ropes, and net fragments. Gear from both trawling and longline fishing operations were represented, with debris identified from Russian, Polish, Japanese, Taiwanese, and South American sources. Three types of litter which potentially entangle marine mammals were found; plastic packing straps, ropes, and net fragments. Plastic bottles, small plastic fragments from broken plastic bottles, and small pieces of expanded polystyrene were common. Litter accumulated in highest densities on open beaches of the west coast of the island. Overall density of marine debris was less than those reported for islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, or from the coast of Alaska.