Nearly half of South Australian fish are found with plastic inside them

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Almost half of the fish was caught South Australia waters were found to contain plastic fragments, a new study shows.

The research, conducted by the University of Adelaide, found microplastic fragments in 49 percent of fish.

Chief researcher Nina Wootton of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide said many commercial and recreational fishermen were unaware of the scale of the problem.

Nearly half of the fish caught in South Australian waters contain plastics.
Nearly half of the fish caught in South Australian waters contain plastics. (9 News)

“We wanted to find out what people knew about microplastic pollution in fish, from fishermen to fishmongers to consumers,” she said in a statement.

“It varied, but about half didn’t realize it was a problem because South Australia’s oceans had such a reputation for being clean.”

There was three times as much plastic in fish from international waters, Ms. Wootton added.

Nina Wootton fears the problem will get worse if plastic pollution is not addressed on an international level.
Nina Wootton fears the problem will get worse if plastic pollution is not addressed on an international level. (9 News)

Researchers are now working together with the seafood industry to educate fishermen and the community on how to reduce plastic waste.

“We still have time to make sure Australian seafood remains some of the cleanest in the world, but we need the seafood industries and the general public to recognize the problem and start taking positive action now,” she said.

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