Tourists are responsible for a spike in plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, warns WWF

Holidaymakers are leaving behind a 'toxic legacy of plastic waste' in the Mediterranean a new report from the WWF has revealed today.

With millions expected to travel to the Mediterranean this summer the WWF has revealed that tourism is responsible for a 40 per cent surge in marine litter entering the Mediterranean Sea every summer '“ with 95 per cent of it being plastic.

According to the report the majority of the plastic pollution appears to be coming from the tourist hot spots in Turkey and Spain, followed by Italy, Egypt and France.

The report Out of the Plastic Trap: Saving the Mediterranean from Plastic Pollution has been released today to mark World Oceans Day.

Fish are ingesting plastic pollution in holiday resorts

Despite the Mediterranean holding just one per cent of the world's water, it now contains seven percent of all of the world's microplastic waste.

Environmental appeal

The WWFC is urging all holidaymakers to consider the environment before leaving their rubbish on the beach this summer.