Thailand Department of Marine and Coastal Resources
A juvenile green sea turtle, too weak to swim, was found washed up on the shores of Chanthaburi Province, Thailand on June 4th and died 2 days later due to ingesting a massive amount of plastic. A necropsy revealed that its stomach was so full of plastic pollution that it hadn’t been able to eat, despite the marine center’s best efforts. After an attempt at intravenous feeding the turtle succumbed to starvation.
The green turtle is listed as an endangered species but unfortunately that doesn’t afford it the protection it deserves. The contents of this turtle’s stomach revealed many rubber bands, fishing gear, pieces of balloons, and other bits of trash. To see just how much plastic this single turtle ingested highlights the entirety of destruction that oceans and marine life are victim to because of pollution:
Thailand Department of Marine and Coastal Resources
This death follows that of a washed up pilot whale on June 3rd, killed nearby on the Thailand-Malaysia border after consuming 17 pounds of plastic, including 80 plastic bags. These deaths by plastic are becoming all to common.
With 8 million tons a year dumped into oceans, plastic pollution has been the cause of many ocean casualties, including beloved endangered species, and continues to threaten our ecosystem. As uplifting as small-scale efforts, like the outlawing of straws, are, a global shift in our use of plastic needed to happen twenty years ago. We must stop using single-use plastic and we must stop polluting the ocean. A massive restructuring of waste management, including fishing gear, and enforcement of new policy, if ignored will destroy the ocean.
This is disheartening and egregious. The plastic problem is why I am majoring in Biochemistry, and I hope to find a truly solution for making all plastic biodegradable/non-toxic. Unfortunately, it is hard to convince anybody how serious I am about the topic. They think of me as a sci-fi writer who has gone off his rocker. (Further, they want their disposable plastic items in their spoiled-rotten-to-the-core, material worlds.)
Please, pardon my grammar and spelling errors. In the second sentence I meant to say: The plastic problem is why I am majoring in biochemistry, hoping to find a true solution in restructuring all plastics to become biodegradable/non-toxic.
NO MORE Plastic Straws, etc., etc., etc….
We are a useless and cruel species.
Very sad what is happening.
It’s terrible that people take our water and other resources for granted. Once they are gone they are gone. So many animals and resources have been lost.
We are destroying this beautiful planet, which we do not deserve, and all life on it. We have to stop doing so much damage. It’s insane to treat the only home we, and all life on earth, have in such a .careless way.
We have become a very wasteful, careless society. Its time we start thinking about others and the wonderful animals we have on this earth. We need to take better care of them.
It only takes a second to drop trash back in the tackle box . somebody a screwed up .the turtle had to be the one to pay the price. NOT RIGHT. We have got to do better
Restaurants and stores must stop selling single use plastics , like straws! STOP USING STRAWS and cup covers ar fast food restaurants. We are destroying whats ledt of iur oceans and our beautiful marine life.
This is heartbreaking! ??
What are we doing to our marine life???? We are literally destroying the planet and if this keeps up our next generation will not be able to enjoy these and so many other animals. It’s time to help change this horrific abuse we are imposing on our beautiful planet before it’s too late.
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We ade the most destructive species on earth. Our demise will be at our own destructive hands.?????????
Human race destroys its own planet. It should be forbitten to produce any more objects in plastic. We have to go back to non-plastic objects.
Please save all these turtles and sea life by educating people not to throw trash in the waters. We need to reduce plastics.
We all need to do our part to reduce our use of plastic and also keep pushing our governments in each of our countries to do the same. We can’t continue this massive pollution that causes so much harm, suffering and death.
THIS IS SUCH A SAD STORY. THE THROWING AWAY OF RUBBER PLASTIC AND OTHER ITEMS THAT DESTROY OUR OCEAN LIFE AS WELL AS ANIMALS LIFE ON LAND. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY PEOPLE AND STOP KILLING OUR WORLD.
Arrête de donner des chats à mangé au tortue géante
@J — You say “the latest horror stories come from Thailand”. — Really????? Last I checked, the ENTIRE WORLD releases balloons, utilizes fishing gear, and uses plastic. EVERYONE needs to be educated on plastic. Americans are some of the WORST offenders when it comes to plastic use.
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How sad. People must be much more aware of throwing away anything. We must be mindful of our earth. we must protect our earth & the wildlife that lives here.
I know it’s all over, but the latest horror stories come from Thailand. They need to educate people and clean their water.
Death by plastic. It is becoming a huge issue and not enough is being done about it.
The ocean needs to be cleaned up. All water bodies needs to be cleaned up for chemicals/junk/plastic. Radiation in the ocean is hurting the food chain also. Make all plastic out of starch only which they can eat. Very sad!
It is not the PLASTIC, it is the MORONS who release PLASTIC balloons over the Oceans and discard GARBAGE in the Ocean. GOT IT?
COMMENTHuman beings alone are responsible for all the animal suffering and pollution of the oceans in which animals have to live. They never thought about it!
Why were so many governments asleep when this problem was building?
Something has got to be done where these animals won’t die from all this trash.
I saw an interview of a lady that was releasing a bunch of balloons for some occasion, and she she was asked about the balloons and the oceans and guess what she said? She didn’t care about the oceans and who ate the balloons that she would keep releasing them.
My heart breaks for these poor creatures who are dying because of human stupidity. It is time to ban balloons, especially the shiny kind that are filled with helium for special occasions. The oceans are not our garbage dump.
This is exactly the reason why our planet is in peril…the attitude of “Me, myself & I” has transformed our planet into one huge garbage dump. For example, at work I recently overheard the following in our break room: A young man returning from vacation was complaining that his hosts at the bed & breakfast asked him to please recycle his plastic bottles/cans & this angered him because he didn’t feel he should have to do this while on vacation…a coworker who cannot begin to imagine why her county is considering a plastic bag ban, because…my goodness, she will have to remember to bring her own reusable bags to the store & that’s just asking way too much of her. And of course, I’m considered the weird hippie that always puts a damper on everyone’s birthday because I’m forever bitching about those damn balloons that have become mandatory every single fucking year they turn another year older. I have begun emailing these coworkers pictures such as the ones above & have asked them to at least think about the strangled wildlife before they purchase another birthday balloon.
It never ceases to amaze me that so many people have no concept of the fact that we are all in this together.