Millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped into the sea each year to present a serious threat to whales. Details of the conclusions will be revealed in an international maritime forum which took place on 11 to July 14, 2011 in Jersey, UK.
For example, in 2008, two sperm whales that stranded on the coast of California, USA, has 205 pounds of fishing nets and plastic garbage fragments in his body. One of them has a damaged stomach. An other, in conditions of hunger, has a lot of plastic garbage that blocks the digestive tract.
Seven sperm whales stranded in southern Italy in 2009 also found to have swallowed hook, line, and other plastic objects. Another whale, who was found dead in waters off France in 2002, even had swallowed nearly a ton of garbage, including plastic bags of two well-known supermarket in the UK.
"Pope Cuvier in the north Atlantic region seem to be the most frequently found to be swallowed, and death due to plastic bags," said Mark Simmonds, a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that wrote the report.
Unfortunately, researchers are hard to make sure the entire population of whales that are threatened by this problem. "In many regions of the world, carcasses of stranded whales are not recorded and checked. Unfortunately, in areas where whales are stranded noted, examination of objects that are swallowed are rare," said Chris Parsons, marine biologists from George Mason University, Virginia, U.S..
Experts said most of the whales that die from ingesting litter or fishing gear is generally sink to the seabed.
Although seldom recorded, there is evidence that plastic waste in the ocean could harm whales. Researchers say that this evidence needs to be investigated further.
"We do not yet know the marine debris is ranked number in the list of threats other than threats. However, as more trash in the ocean, plastic trash will be a growing threat," said Simmonds.
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