Paradise Island Photos Reveal Plastic Threat to Bird Populations

Jutting out into the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand is the curved, crescent-shaped volcanic remnant of Lord Howe Island. Measuring 10 kilometres in length and 2 kilometres at its widest point, the rocky island is covered in lush, unspoiled forest and boasts a sandy, coral-rich lagoon.

“It’s a paradise,” says photographer Neil Hadaway, who was there to document the activities of marine research group Adrift. “There are birdsongs everywhere, beautiful coral and golden sand.” Among the bird calls are the common petrels (Aldena CarneipesOf the total, approximately 22,000 breed on the island.

But life there is not ideal, and newly hatched petrel chicks, like the one pictured above, are under threat from increasing marine plastic pollution. Adult petrels mistake plastic debris in the sea for food and end up feeding it to their young. In fact, Adrift researchers have found that the amount of plastic ingested by chicks is increasing every year. One of the team, pictured below, sifts through chunks of plastic in the stomach of just one bird.

As a result, these chicks become increasingly underdeveloped, with dozens dying each year from starvation and plastic-related diseases.

“This island may be magical,” Hadaway said, “but it’s also full of frustration and sadness.”

He says stricter laws against plastic pollution are needed to protect populations of petrels, which locals affectionately call “muttonbirds” (see above) after their taste.