As per media reports, a young whale that washed up in the Philippines had died from “gastric shock” after eating 40 kg of plastic bags. 40 kilos of plastic bags, including 16 rice sacks, four banana plantation style bags and multiple shopping bags have been uncovered in the whale’s stomach after conducting an autopsy.
Marine biologists in Davao city, Mindanao, were shocked to discover the brutal cause of death of the young Cuvier beaked whale.
They also stated that action must be taken by the government against those who continue to treat the waterways and ocean as dumpsters. The use of single-use plastic is rampant in south-east Asia.
A 2017 report by Ocean Conservancy stated that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have been dumping more plastic into the ocean than the rest of the world combined.
Marine biologist Darrell Blatchley, said that in the 10 years they have examined dead whales and dolphins, 57 of them were found to have died due to accumulated rubbish and plastic in their stomachs. Last June, a whale died in Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, which weighed up to 8 kg.
Image Credit: The Guardian
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