Plastic in the oceans

[Odsox]

The last time I spread seaweed on the bed in my east polytunnel was 2015.
I collected it avoiding rubbish (I know I should have collected it) and spread it on my concrete pad. I then went all over it removing all the non-seaweed items I could find, washed most of the salt out and then spread it on the soil in the tunnel.
In 2016 I removed more plastic when I dug the beds and again in 2017. This year I did the same when I dug it and raked it over.
I've just been in there planting stuff and guess what, more plastic.
There are 3 main sorts of plastic in our washed up seaweed, plastic bottles which are big enough to avoid when collecting, black silage wrap, which probably blows into the sea rather than dumped, and which is also easy to avoid. But the 3rd sort is fishing line, and that's what I keep on digging up. It's very difficult to see amongst similarly coloured seaweed.

If this little lot survived being found during 5 searches just think what must be left in the sea (and still in my veggie patch)
I don't think I'll bother collecting seaweed any more..
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[Green Aura]

It's an absolute nightmare. Our beach is a fairly protected bay so anything that washes in doesn't usually wash out again. The beach is constantly full of huge quantities of fishing net, crates and other flotsam which presumably washes off the boats - I can't believe they discard some of the nets we've found.

One day we had our usual walk down to the beach and found a cow (they often graze on the seaweed) chewing an enormous length of thick nylon rope. We couldn't find the farmer so had to run home and phone the farm to let them know - heavens knows how much she'd already eaten, or what damage it could do to her. It makes you wonder how much of these smaller bits they eat without anyone noticing.

[MKG]

I'm surprised to hear that you don't grow your own seaweed, Tony.