A STUDY has found widespread ingestion of debris by coastal birds, including vulnerable and threatened species.
The largest survey of its kind in the southern hemisphere looked at 61 species, including 370 individual birds from eastern Australia.
Kathy Townsend from the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island said 30 per cent of species investigated had ingested marine debris.
“How the birds feed effects the type of debris they ingest, along with their habitat,” Dr Townsend said.
“For example, pursuit-diving species such as shags and cormorants ingested things like fishing hooks and sinkers, while surface-feeders such as albatross and short-tailed shearwaters ingested buoyant plastics and balloons.
“The study showed that marine birds were highly selective of the physical characteristics, types and colours of debris they ingest.”
Dr Townsend said that for the short-tailed shearwater their accidental diet was likely a case of mistaken identity.
“These birds feed extensively on red arrow squid and they were found to particularly favour red and orange balloons which may look similar when they are foraging.”
Queensland is the nation’s litter capital, with discarded rubbish recorded at levels almost 40 per cent above the national average.
Last year Wildlife Queensland spokesman Toby Hutcheon complained about thousands of promotional helium balloons being handed out at the Ekka.
Mr Hutcheon said there was nothing wrong with ordinary party balloons but helium balloons were deadly to wildlife, because as the rose into the sky, many floated out over the ocean, killing a wide range of species.
Environment Minister Steven Miles said he would look at restrictions on helium balloon releases and wrote to MPs, regarding a ban on their release at government events.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ruled out any ban on helium balloons despite the scientific evidence.
UQ lead author Lauren Roman, now with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Tasmania, said species which ingested debris included the near-threatened Buller’s albatross and shy albatross.
The vulnerable Westland petrel and Gould’s petrel were also found to feed on rubbish.
Ms Roman said the birds investigated were collected dead by citizen scientists and wildlife groups across eastern Australia and the contents of their stomach examined.
“Pollution of the world’s oceans is having direct impacts on marine birds but the extent is yet to be fully investigated in Australia,” she said.
Australian Seabird Rescue, Pelican and Seabird Rescue, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, RSPCA Wacol Wildlife Hospital, the Queensland Environment Department, Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and Queensland Museum all contributed to the survey.
