Why the world must work together to tackle plastic ocean threat

Tiny fragments of plastic have reached even the most remote and seemingly-pristine regions of the planet. Photo: AFP

Plastic has infiltrated all parts of the ocean and is now found "in the smallest plankton up to the largest whale", wildlife group WWF said recently, calling for urgent efforts to create an international treaty on plastics.

Tiny fragments of plastic have reached even the most remote and seemingly-pristine regions of the planet: it peppers Arctic sea ice and has been found inside fish in the deepest recesses of the ocean, the Mariana Trench.