It has been estimated that over a million birds and 100,000 marine animals, including mammals and turtles, die each year from plastic debris. Many of these marine animals that die are our very own Virgin Islands sea turtles, pelicans and whales that frequent our waters.
Plastic bags that originate from our territory are carried into the oceans on our trade winds and by rain on streets carrying them into the ocean and carried even further on ocean currents endangering and killing marine creatures.
Besides the right to live for these creatures in and of itself, they provide our tourism industry with a natural attraction. We need to come to their aid and ours by enacting plastic bag legislation or an ordinance. Many stores have already taken the initiative in voluntarily not offering plastic bags and offering reusable bags.
Please sign this petition and urge the Governor of the US Virgin Islands and Legislators to enact a ban on single use plastic bags.
