Nowadays, the images here have sadly become all too commonplace and the problem of waste in our seas and oceans has escalated to catastrophic proportions. What to me in 1996 seemed to be an inconcievable amount of waste, especially shocking when discovered in such a remote place, pales in comparison to the accumulation being found in the remotest parts of the globe.
My greatest fear is that the ubiquitous images of floating islands of plastic, of sea creatures choking on the detritus of our plastic rubbish, of the sheer magnitude of the problem, lead to feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness and inaction.
And yet we are many. If everyone acted on their outrage, we could and will make a difference. We must.