Marine debris is a worldwide issue that affects everyone, no matter where they live. It comes from people and can enter our waterways, ocean, and Great Lakes in many ways from activities on land and at sea.

The marine debris problem is different in Alaska than in other parts of the United States. With an extensive, rugged, and remote coastline, longer than the rest of the United States combined, addressing marine debris in Alaska requires innovative and creative approaches.

A study by Law et al has revealed the United States is responsible for a larger portion of plastic waste entering the marine environment than previously thought. The study showed that the United States was the largest producer of plastic waste worldwide, creating 42 million metric tons of plastic waste. The United States also was the third largest contributor to mismanaged plastic waste with as much as 1.45 million metric tons of plastic debris estimated to have entered the coastal environment from the United States.

Further, the USA is the second largest exporter of plastic scrap globally. If imported material is not properly managed in the receiving country, environmental inputs of plastic waste generated in the United States may be much higher than previously assessed.

We, the Alaskan Natives and the people of the region, ask the United States Government, local authorities, the environmental community, and the Coast Guard to urgently reduce the release of unrecycled waste into the rivers and waters of the Arctic. We also call for increased efforts to clean up Alaska's coastal waters from marine debris.