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Plastic in almost all seabirds by 2050
Penguins
The researchers are particularly concerned about penguins and giat albatrosses.

Plastic ingestion can have serious health implications

Plastic ingestion will affect almost all of the world's seabirds by 2050, according to new research.

A study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that nearly 60 per cent of all seabird species have plastic in their gut and, based on current trends, scientists estimate this figure will rise to 99 per cent by 2050.

In the study, researchers from CSIRO and Imperial College London assessed how widespread the threat of plastic is for seabirds, including albatrosses, shearwaters and penguins.

Based on analysis of published studies in the early 1960s, they found that that plastic is increasingly common in seabird's stomachs.

In 1960, plastic was found in the gut of less than five per cent of individual seabirds, which increased to 80 per cent by 2010.

The scientists believe that 90 per cent of all seabirds alive today have eaten some kind of plastic including bags, bottle caps and plastic fibres from synthetic clothes.

The birds mistake the brightly coloured items for food or swallow them accidentally. Plastic ingestion can cause gut impaction, weightless and can sometimes be fatal.

Senior research scientist at CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Dr Wilcox said: "For the first time, we have a global prediction of how wide-reaching plastic impacts may be on marine species - and the results are striking.

"We predict, using historical observations, that 90 per cent of individual seabirds have eaten plastic. This is a huge amount and really points to the ubiquity of plastic pollution."

The study found plastics have the greatest impact on wildlife where they gather in the Southern ocean, around the edges of Australia, outer Africa and South America.

Dr Erik van Sebille from the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London said the plastics had the most devastating impact in the areas where there was the greatest diversity of species.

"We are very concerned about species such as penguins and giant albatrosses, which live in these areas," said Dr Sebille. "While the infamous garbage patches in the middle of the oceans have strikingly high densities of plastic, very few animals live here."

The researchers believe that there is still a chance to change the impact that plastic has on seabirds. 
Dr Denise Hardesty, also from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, added: "Improving waste management can reduce the threat plastic is posing to marine wildlife.

"Even simple measures can make a difference, such as reducing packaging, banning single-use plastic items or charging an extra fee to use them, and introducing deposits for recyclable items like drink containers.

"Efforts to reduce plastics losses into the environment in Europe resulted in measurable changes in plastic in seabird stomachs with less than a decade, which suggests that improvements in basic waste management can reduce plastic in the environment in a really short time."

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.