Plastic pollution

Some researchers suggest that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by weight.

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects (e.g.: plastic bottles and much more) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans.

Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro-, meso-, or macro debris, based on size.
Plastics are inexpensive and durable, and as a result levels of plastic production by humans are high.
Moreover, the chemical structure of most plastics renders them resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result they are slow to degrade. Together, these two factors have led to a high prominence of plastic pollution in the environment.

Plastic pollution can afflict land, waterways and oceans. Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can be harmed either by mechanical effects, such as entanglement in plastic objects or problems related to ingestion of plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that interfere with their physiology. Humans are also affected by plastic pollution, such as through disruption of various hormonal mechanisms.

As of 2018, about 380 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide each year. From the 1950s up to 2018, an estimated 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced worldwide, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% has been incinerated. In the UK alone, more than 5 million tonnes of plastic are consumed each year, of which only an estimated one-quarter is recycled, with the remainder going to landfills. This large amount of plastic waste inevitably enters the environment, with studies suggesting that the bodies of 90% of seabirds contain plastic debris.

In some areas there have been significant efforts to reduce the prominence of plastic pollution, through reducing plastic consumption and promoting plastic recycling.

Read the full article at https://www.revolvy.com/page/Plastic-pollution

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Ocean clean up

The plastic will not go away by itself

A serious action has taken place in the Pacific to clean up the ocean. The Ocean Cleanup has dispatched a giant PacMan to remove plastic from the Pacific.

Over 5 trillion pieces of plastic are currently littered in the oceans, trash has accumulated in the ocean and if left to circulate, the plastics will impact our ecosystems, health and economies.

There are five major gyres, which are large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces created by Earth's rotation. The movement of the world's major ocean gyres helps drive the “ocean conveyor belt.” The ocean conveyor belt circulates ocean water around the entire planet. Together, these larger and more permanent currents make up the systems of currents known as gyres.

The term “gyre” is used to refer to the collections of plastic waste and other debris found in higher concentrations in certain parts of the ocean. Solving it requires a combination of closing the source, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean.

Research shows the majority of plastic by mass is currently in the larger debris. By removing the plastic while most of it is still large, we prevent it from breaking down into dangerous microplastics. Combining the cleanup with source reduction on land paves the road towards a plastic free ocean by 2050.




Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre.

The Indian Ocean’s garbage patch covers a massive area: at least five million square kilometers (two million square miles). As garbage patches such as these circulate for long periods of time, they cause inorganic toxins to enter the food chain due to solar breakdown of plastics in the water. In the Indian Ocean gyre, the garbage patch has been more of a mystery. Having just been discovered in 2010, it is still under research. It is known, however, that like most garbage patches, it is very fluid, and changes with the seasons, making its location difficult to pinpoint. It seems to circulate with the Indian Ocean gyre, from the Australian side to the African side, down the African coast, and then back to Australia. According to the team who discovered the garbage patch, the full rotation of the gyre’s garbage patch takes about six years, until it reaches the center of the gyre, where it may remain indefinitely.

The patch does not appear as a continuous debris field. As with other patches in each of the five oceanic gyres, the plastics in it break down to ever smaller particles, and to constituent polymers. As with the other patches, the field constitutes an elevated level of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris; primarily particles that are invisible to the naked eye. The concentration of particle debris has been estimated to be approximately 10,000 particles per square kilometer.

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Red Sea Maritime to go into partnership with the Mombasa County Government to revamp and redevelop the fishing industry

Red Sea Maritime has proposed a public private partnership to the Mombasa County Government to revamp and redevelop the fishing industry in Kenya, off the coast of Mombasa county.

Red Sea Maritime is a Maritime and logistics company located in the UK and East Africa - Kenya. We are positioned as change agents for the African continent and its people. The company’s business concept is to provide support services in the maritime industry. We assist with the sales and chartering of vessels, boats and all types of sea going machinery. We also render procurement services in terms of supply vessels, tugboats, search and rescue boats.

The Mombasa County Government played host to directors of the company who presented the proposal to set up a fish processing and storage facility with a view to exporting seafood. Red Sea Maritime is determined to bring jobs, business opportunities and progress to the people of Mombasa County. To this end, a proposal has been submitted to the Mombasa County Government with a larger presentation to be done within the next 3 months. The position is to return to Mombasa with a business plan on the business operations, profit & loss projections and so forth.

Presently, we are in the initial stages of developing the business plan, we are heavily into research now in terms of off takers of the fish and the business structuring in general. It is important to note that our team was well received by the Mombasa County Government and consequently departed with an acknowledgement letter and a non-disclosure agreement.

Our aim is to assist the Mombasa County administration nurture, develop and boost the fishing industry of Mombasa County. We have studied the terrain and have understood that the main thrust/ factors necessary for boosting the industry are equipment, manpower, storage/ processing facilities and product buyers. Mombasa County is blessed with a rich and beautiful coastline, which we believe must be fully tapped into.

During our research, we found that the current fish production is approximately 9, 000 – 15, 000MT of product annually, however, there is opportunity to grow this industry to produce up to 200, 000MT in the same period.  Our approach is to close the gap between local fishermen and the foreigners, while creating opportunities for locals to exploit the marine resources available are three pronged –

• In conjunction with the Mombasa County, source for and deliver two (2) new model fishing trawlers with Sonar systems capable of tracking schools of fish 1,500m/s or 4, 921 ft/s deep
• Set up a fishing scheme, that will see young men and women come together to apply for support in terms of securing vessels for fishing and other factors of the industry
• Employ local sailors/ fishermen to man the vessels, while we open up opportunities for training new sailors/ fishermen
• Set up a storage and processing facility for the products

During our research and engagement with industry majors, it is apparent to us as a business that the fishing industry is a viable and profitable industry. Our business site - Mombasa County, Kenya is a warm and friendly environment, the social and political risks have been assessed and have been deemed as quite low and easily managed. Competition is evident, however, not stiff, which creates a fantastic opportunity for investors. We are interested in development partners in terms of technical and commercial support.

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Contact us if you are interested to know more about the Red Sea Maritime - business project in the fishing industry in Kenya, Mombasa.

Level 33, 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, England, E14 5LB

T: +44 793 111 0000    E: ahmed@redseamaritime.co.uk    www.redseamaritime.co.uk

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