The British Plastics Federation has struck out at producers of the flagship BBC nature show Blue Planet II, which documented ocean pollution in the episode aired on Sunday November 19th.
The programme featured footage of a pilot whale mother unable to abandon her dead calf after it died far out to sea.
David Attenborough's voice over said: "A mother is holding her newborn young - it's dead. She is reluctant to let it go, and has been carrying it around for many days.
'In top predators like these, industrial chemicals can build up to lethal levels, and plastic could be part of the problem.
'As plastic breaks down, it combines with these other pollutants which are consumed by vast numbers of other marine creatures. It's possible her calf may have been poisoned by her own contaminated milk.
'Pilot whales have big brains, they can certainly experience emotions. Judging by the behaviour of the adults, the loss has infant has affected the entire family.
'Unless the flow of plastics and industrial pollution into the world's oceans is reduced, marine life will be poisoned by them for many centuries to come.
The BPF said it was ‘disappointed’ that shots of a dead pilot whale calf were linked to plastics ‘with absolutely no supporting evidence.’
It continued ‘The BPF wishes to make it unequivocally clear that plastics themselves are not a major source of toxins, persistent organic pollutants nor heavy metals found in oceans. This is because they are inherently inert. Plastics are completely safe when in contact with food or beverages, for example, and have to meet very strict requirements set in food contact legislation at an EU level…
‘The harmful chemicals that are unfortunately present in the sea are not there because of plastics. They are often present due to historical practices, with many of these practices and chemicals now banned under UN and EU regulations. Due to their chemical nature, many of these banned chemicals persist in the natural environment for a very long time. Some chemicals that were banned almost 40 years ago are still found today.
Plastics are a valuable and highly recyclable resource that should stay productive within the circular economy. They offer unique, functional benefits and reduce food waste, carbon dioxide emissions and protect products in ways no other material can. In reality, the UK is responsible for only 0.2 per cent of marine litter – but we would like to see that figure reduced to zero. However, in raising awareness of global environmental issues, falsely linking toxins in the ocean with plastics and the death of a baby whale is poor film-making and alarmist. Plastics are completely safe: they simply need to be disposed of responsibly so that they do not enter the marine environment.
The BPF provides advocacy information against the marine litter problem, via: marinelitterthefacts.com.