Trapped with a net wrapped tightly around its neck, a gannet calls out in distress. The bird lives on tiny Grassholm Island off the Pembrokeshire coast, home to the third largest gannet colony in the UK. But the once idyllic island has become “a living hell” for the birds because of our major plastic problem. The tiny speck of land now has an estimated 20 tonnes of plastic on it, causing a “serious threat” to seabirds on the island. Photographer Sam Hobson captured the shocking image and said he found the gannets were using plastic waste and netting to build nests. “This panicked adult gannet struggled as it dangled from a cliff side, with ropes twisted around its neck like a hangman’s noose,” Mr Hobson said. “The gannets line their nests with these man-made plastic fibres and their nests become death-traps, entangling adult birds and juveniles as they develop inside the nest.” Thankfully for the gannet, brave volunteers were on hand to release the bird from being strangled to death by the plastic netting. Every year the RSPB embarks on a rescue mission to free birds entangled in plastic on the island. On neighbouring Ramsey Island, RSPB staff have managed… Read full this story
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