May 6 - Plastic Bags Kill Whale in Puerto Rico
The death of a Gervais’ Beaked Whale in Puerto Rico is being blamed on plastic bag pollution. Biologists from Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources found over 10 pounds of plastic in the whale’s stomach and believe the plastic caused the whale to die of starvation or malnutrition.
Hundreds of marine species are harmed by plastic marine pollution. Plastic bags are especially harmful to sea turtles and marine mammals that mistake plastic bags for food. Bags that aren't consumed by these large animals break down into tiny fragments which have the potential to enter our own food chain.
The breadth and frequency in which we see these reports, from New Zealand to Seattle, is alarming. We will see more and more reports like this unless we can do something about plastic bag litter.
- Teresa Bui's blog
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