1.5 Billion Masks Found In Ocean Last Year, Marine Life Being Killed

Conservationists Are Urging People To Wear Re-usable Masks Because They Say The Single Use Masks Are Damaging The Environment And Killing Wildlife.

Certain Groups Have Also Called On Governments To Increase Fines For Littering.

This As Single-use Masks Have Been Found On Pavements, Waterways And Beaches Around The World Since Countries Started Mandating The Masks In Public Places.

According To Experts These Masks That Are Worn Once Take Hundreds Of Years To Decompose.

In Addition, Wildlife Has Been Seen Entangled In The Masks And Marine Life Is Washing On Shore Dead With Conservationists Finding Masks Inside Their Stomachs.

In One Incident That Went Viral A Gull's Legs Became Tangled In The Straps Of A Disposable Mask For Up To A Week.

The Bird Was Spotted Not Moving But Still Alive When It Was Rescued.

According To OceansAsia More Than 1.5 Billion Masks Were Found In The Oceans Last Year Accounting For Around 6,200 Extra Tons Of Marine Plastic Pollution.

Experts Say That When The Masks Break Down They Form Smaller Particles Which Then Enter The Food Chain And Impact Entire Ecosystems.