Help fish, stop plastic pollution - 5th December 2019

The island of Zakynthos is famous for its fabulous beaches and clean sea. But even here plastic pollution is a serious threat. It is a danger to wildlife, including fish and turtles.

The organisation Aegean Rebreath is working to protect the area's biodiversity. Volunteers from around the world have come to help.

After just three hours, they have collected four tyres, two shopping carts, a street lamp, metal boxes, plastic bags, plastic bottles and several kilometres of fishing line.

Biologists test fish at a marine research centre in Athens. They say plastic is found in 20-45 percent of fish species. Plastic is also present in 75 percent of the turtles tested.

George Triantaphyllidis, from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, believes as individuals we must change our use of plastics.

George Triantaphyllidis: "I believe that everybody should change its habits. So, we don't have to use the single-use plastics in our daily life. We have to do a small revolution inside ourselves first."