From The Asian Reporter, V29, #08 (April 15, 2019), page 4.
MILAN — A 26-foot-long sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 48.5 pounds of plastic in its belly, prompting the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) to sound an alarm over the dangers of plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea.
The environmental group said the garbage recovered from the sperm whale's stomach included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines, and a washing detergent package with its bar code still legible.
The female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia, within the vast Pelagos marine sanctuary that was created as a haven for dolphins, whales, and other sea life.
To combat the phenomenon, the European parliament has approved a new law banning a wide range of single-use plastic products, including plates and straws, starting in 2021.
Italy's environment minister, Sergio Costa, lamented the whale's death and said he planned to propose a new law to limit the use of plastics.
"We have been using disposable plastics in a carefree way in these years, and now we are paying the price," he said. "The war on disposable plastics has started. And we won't stop here."