Sea shocker: Plastic spoon in shark’s stomach

After examining the shark’s body, which weighed around 3.5 tonnes, the officials decided to bury it after pouring acid on it on Tuesday.

 Just before pouring the acid, they decided to cut open the shark using a JCB machine and found a plastic spoon inside. Following the shocking discovery of plastic inside marine organisms, Sathish, Forest Ranger, Mandapam, while speaking to DTNext, said that fishermen usually carry packed food items, plastic covers and spoons with them while going fishing.  After consuming food, they throw the plastic waste into the sea and this was a matter of concern. 

“Aware ness regarding the dangers of plastic hazard needs to be spread among the local community, the officer said. Meanwhile, Ramanathapuram district  Collector S Natarajan, who had earlier declared Dhanushkodi a plastic-free zone, said that tourists should stop using plastics in the island and avoid its dumping into the sea.

 Any violation of this could have an adverse impact on marine species. Rahul Muralidharan, a marine ecology expert from Chennai, said that in recent times, plastic wastes inside animals have not been reported in the State. Speaking about the current incident, he said that whale sharks are filter feeders and swallow everything floating on the sea. “Though littering of plastics in the sea was a key issue, fishermen should not be targeted. 

Even tourists should be made aware of problems associated with plastics. Pamban has already been declared a plastic-free island and if the measure is properly implemented, fishermen and marine resources would be benefited,” Muralidharan added.