DragonI

The bad news is that fish are eating lots of plastic. Even worse, they may like it.

So it’s up to people to keep dangerous trash out of the ocean’s food supply.

www.washingtonpost.com

As you bite down into a delicious piece of fish, you probably don’t think about what the fish itself ate — but perhaps you should. 

Fish don’t usually die as a direct result of feeding on the enormous quantities of plastic trash floating in the oceans. But that doesn’t mean it’s not harmful for them. Some negative effects that scientists have discovered when fish consume plastic include reduced activity rates and weakened schooling behavior, as well as compromised liver function.

Most distressingly for people, toxic compounds that are associated with plastic transfer to and bioaccumulate in fish tissues. This is troubling because these substances could further bio­accumulate in people who consume fish that have eaten plastic. 

Numerous species sold for human consumption, including mackerel, striped bass and Pacific oysters, have been found with these toxic plastics in their stomachs.