Six-ton whale killed by 64lb of plastic rubbish in its body
A SPERM whale found dead on the coast of Murcia in southern Spain was killed by gastric shock caused by ingesting 64lb (29kg) of plastic waste.
The stomach and intestines of the young male were found to contain rubbish including plastic bags, raffia sacks, pieces of nets and ropes and a jerry can, marine experts said following a post mortem examination.
The whale, almost 33ft in length and weighing more than six tons, was found dead on a beach in Cabo de Palos at the end of February. The cause of its death prompted Murcia’s regional government to launch a campaign against plastic waste in the ocean.
Consuelo Rosauro, the Murcian director-general for the natural environment, said: “Many animals get trapped in the rubbish or ingest great quantities of plastic which end up causing their death.” Experts at Murcia’s El Valle Wildlife Rescue Centre, which examined the carcass, said that it had been unable to either digest or expel the plastics in its system, and as a result had suffered a fatal case of peritonitis.
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