Prince Charles claimed more respect was needed for the world’s seas last night (11.09.08), terming them “overfished and awash with rubbish”.
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The 59-year-old royal was speaking at a silver jubilee dinner for the Marine Conservation Society held in London, and said a “wake-up call” was needed in order to halt the long-term damage littering is causing to marine life.
He said: “It is an eyesore on beaches – but at sea the remnants of our throwaway society are causing incalculable suffering to turtles, whales and sea birds.”
The prince went on to say he had discovered dead albatrosses on beaches, which had rubbish and plastic bags bursting from their stomachs.
He also praised the work of botanist Professor David Bellamy, who he said was owed an “incalculable debt” for his attempts to conserve ocean life.
Earlier in the week, Prince Charles called for “wartime urgency” to protect the rainforests.
Speaking at a dinner, the prince – founder of The Prince’s Rainforest Project which seeks to find solutions to deforestation – said: “It is no exaggeration to say that rainforests are the world’s lifebelt.
“The consequences of such dramatic change are huge, even in the medium term with hundreds of millions of people displaced leading to security issues which will dwarf what we have witnessed in recent years.
“This is why I often use the analogy of war because I fear we are engaged in a battle for our very survival. We must mobilise ourselves, indeed the whole world, with that real sense of wartime urgency and resolve to act together.”
