Veterinarians in Thailand failed to save a green turtle that was recently found near Chonburi’s Lamchabang Port. The stomach of the turtle was filled with trash, and veterinarians at the marine center in Chonburi were trying to save it by intravenous feeding.
This turtle was found on a beach in the eastern province of Chonburi on June 4, by the researchers from the Eastern Marine and Coastal Resource Research and Development Centre.
“It was feeling weak and couldn’t swim,” Weerapong Laovechprasit, a veterinarian at the Eastern Marine and Coastal Resource Research and Development Centre, told AFP.
“The main cause of death is the sea rubbish.”
Veterinarians performed an X-ray of the turtle and found that its stomach and intestinal tract were filled with rubber bands, plastic shreds, pieces of balloons and other debris, leaving it unable to consume anything.
They tried to feed it intravenously, but could not save it.
The garbage inside the stomach and intestinal tract was extracted after the death of the turtle.
According to veterinarian team, the turtle suffered a loss of appetite and low levels of protein in its bloodstream, which resulted in formation of cysts, eventually leading to heart failure.
Earlier this month, a dead whale with plastic debris was also found on Thai shores. The autopsy of the animal revealed 80 plastic bags inside its stomach.
According to researchers, thousands of marine animals and reptiles in Thailand die each year after consuming plastic waste in the oceans.
According to Mr Weerapong, earlier nearly 10 percent of the green turtles at the beaches in the area were ingesting plastic or suffering infections after coming in contact with the plastic waste, but a large percentage of green turtles are coming in contact with plastic rubbish.
Thai turtle's plastic-filled stomach highlights ocean crisis https://t.co/a3MfFIW0rJ
— TJ Dimacali (@tjdimacali) June 11, 2018
A 2015 Ocean Conservancy report says nearly eight million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the world’s oceans each year, and about four million tonnes of this waste comes from five Asian countries: Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In Thailand, government agencies and other environmental protection groups are trying to reduce pollution near beaches. Thai National Parks have banned use of plastic and Styrofoam. Many restaurants are now following Green Cafe Network’s “Straw on Request” policy. They now offer straws only to those customers who request them.
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