Michael Gove vows to take action on ocean plastic after being 'haunted' by Blue Planet

Michael Gove has vowed to take action over plastic pollution in the oceans after being "haunted" by Sunday night's episode of Blue Planet.

In the episode, which drove some viewers to tears, a pilot whale carried the carcass of its dead baby around for days.

Sir David Attenborough, narrating the episode, suggested the calf was poisoned by its mother's milk, which could have been contaminated by plastic pollution.

Also in the show was a baby turtle, which crew members saved after it became tangled in a plastic net.

Michael Gove wrote on Twitter: "Still haunted by last night's #BluePlanet2 - the imperative to do more to tackle plastic in our oceans is clear. We @DefraGovUK will work urgently to identify further action."

David Attenborough said: "Today in the Atlantic waters they have to share the ocean with plastic. A mother is holding her newborn young – it’s dead.

"Pilot whales have big brains, they can certainly experience emotions. Judging from the behaviour of the adults, the loss of the infant has affected the entire family.

"Unless the flow of plastics and industrial pollution into the ocean is reduced, marine life will be poisoned by them for many centuries to come.

"The creatures that live in the big blue are perhaps more remote than any other animal but not remote enough to escape the affects of what we are doing to their world."

Also in the show was a turtle, which crew members saved after it became tangled in a plastic net.

The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs has already used his position to tackle plastic pollution, announcing in June that microbeads, found in cosmetics and toiletries, will be banned this year.

The tiny pieces of plastic enter the world's oceans when washed down our sinks, where they are then swallowed by wildlife.

Around eight million tonnes of plastic makes its way into oceans each year, posing a serious threat to the natural and marine environment. Experts estimate plastic is ingested by 31 species of marine mammals and over 100 species of sea birds.

He has set out his ambition for the UK to lead the world in environmental protection.

The Blue Planet crew have spoken of the traumatic experiences they have faced, seeing marine life struggling against plastic pollution.

 Assistant Blue Planet producer Sarah Conner told BBC Newsbeat "I have seen dead birds with their legs entangled in plastic bags, so they could have died from not being able to feed or fly.

"I saw a dead leatherback turtle that died from entanglement in fishing rope."

Camera operator Rafa Herrero Massieu told of how the crew had to rescue an entangled humpback whale off British Colombia, which was trailing almost a kilometre of ropes from fishing pots, and was struggling to swim.

"The crew stayed with the whale for nine hours, until all the rope was removed by the rescue team and the whale was free once more," says camera operator Rafa.

"The most difficult thing was to deal with our emotions, because we could feel the great sadness that the pilot whales transmitted."