This kills 100,000 marine mammals every year.

"Ghost gear" trash from fishing vessels is polluting our oceans and killing marine mammals. Sign Now Dear friends, It took marine mammal rescuers weeks to find a reportedly injured seal off the coast of the United Kingdom, and by the time they did locate him, it was too late. When they found his lifeless body on the shore, his neck was caught in 80 lbs of netting and trash, which immobilized him in the water. The cords had cut into his neck and nearly decapitated him. This tragic case was just one gruesome reminder of the cost of turning our oceans into landfills. It's estimated that nearly 650,000 of debris known as "ghost gear" — including ropes, netting, and hooks that are jettisoned from fishing vessels, both intentionally and not — pollute our oceans every year. The morass of fishing equipment kills any creature that comes into contact with it. But being strangled and maimed isn't the only danger. Even if marine wildlife is able to avoid these floating death traps, they're still harmed as the plastic ghost gear decomposes into microplastics. These tiny, and often nearly invisible, plastic particles are ingested by animals, slowly killing them from the inside out. This is a completely fixable problem. Fishing boats should be required to responsibly dispose of their gear in a way that won't harm any animals. But right now, there is no accountability, so fishing boats continue to pollute our oceans netting. As a result, marine mammals, like the poor seal, continue to die. Let's demand more accountability for keeping our oceans safe for the creatures who live in them. Tell the U.K. Government to crack down on ghost gear. Thank you,   Emily V. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. Fishing boats must be held responsible for the deadly trash they throw into the ocean. Sign the petition.