Sea Life put on display to raise awareness of the effects of rubbish in our oceans

A new display at Sea Life London Aquarium is urging the public to say good riddance to bad rubbish.

A 15,000 litre tank has been filled with fishing nets and waste plastic to raise awareness of the disastrous effects that we as humans are having on our oceans and sea life across the globe.

The display also features a number of fake fish to highlight the volume of marine life that are being harmed and often killed due to the pollution found in our oceans.

Oceans make up 70 per cent of our planet and are a vital part of the ecosystems that support all life on Earth, producing 50 per cent of the oxygen we breathe.

But they are being polluted with lost and abandoned fishing gear, household products, cigarette butts, single-use nappies and plastic bags and bottles.

Just one single use plastic bottle takes 450 years to fully decompose.

Catherine Pritchard, general manager at SEA LIFE London Aquarium said: “While the stats are truly shocking, they unfortunately aren’t surprising. You only need to head to your local beach or river to see the amount of plastic that has been left behind and which washes up on our shores.

“We hope that through our exhibit we’re able to highlight and raise awareness of the dangers plastics are having on our oceans and sea life and encourage everyone to take care when visiting these places of beauty.”