Plastic in fish highlights need for cleaner Thames

By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent

Up to three-quarters of fish sampled from the River Thames have been found to have plastic fibres in their gut.

The Royal Holloway study was small and looked at just two species - but it highlights, say scientists, the pressing issue of plastic waste in London's great waterway.

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the curse of litter.

It wants public support to stop plastic from getting into the Thames.

The PLA has teamed with other groups, including the charity Thames21, to ask people to "Do The Right Thing" and make sure any rubbish they have goes securely into a bin.

"This is not just a problem along the river; it's affected by litter from across London," explained the authority's environment manager, Tanya Ferry.

"So you might discard plastic near Buckingham Palace or Selfridges but if it gets into the drains, those drains could potentially discharge into the Thames and carry those plastic pieces with them."

The PLA has 16 barges positioned on the river to catch floating debris. Called "passive driftwood collectors", these devices are increasingly catching plastic, not fallen tree branches.

Some 400 tonnes of rubbish are being caught annually, and while that mass has stayed fairly stable over time, its volume has shot up, indicating that discarded plastic is on the rise.