Sea turtles can die from swallowing one piece of plastic : Study
Canberra, Sep 14 : A sea turtle has a 22 per cent chance of dying if it eats just one piece of plastic, an Australian scientific institution revealed on Friday, quantifying for the first time the risk that plastic pollution poses to sea turtle populations.
Scientists found that there was a 50 per cent likelihood that a sea turtle would die if it had 14 plastic items in its gut, according to a statement from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
However, "even a single piece of plastic can kill a turtle", said Kathy Townsend of the University of the Sunshine Coast, who participated in the analysis of nearly 1,000 turtles found dead and washed up on beaches around Australia, reports Efe news.
"Some of the turtles we studied had eaten only one piece of plastic, which was enough to kill it. In one case, the gut was punctured, and in the other, the soft plastic clogged the gut," Townsend said.
Prior to this study, it was unclear if the plastics in the oceans killed sea turtles or if they simply ingested them without major harm.
Sea turtles are among the first animals recorded to consume plastic debris, a phenomenon that occurs worldwide in all seven species of marine turtles.
Globally, it is estimated that 52 per cent of sea turtles have eaten plastic. According to the UN, eight million tonnes of plastic waste ended up in the oceans each year.
The UN suggested that if this trend continues, there will likely be more plastics than fish in the oceans by 2050, as seabed pollution is already present in every region worldwide.
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Will follow Shinde in any direction he goes: MLA Shirsat on allying with Pawar Sr for CM post
Mumbai, Nov 21: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday said his party leaders will follow Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in any direction he goes post-assembly poll results and decisions taken by him will be acceptable to them.
He asserted the party will solidly back Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, as it trusts his leadership, comments coming two days ahead of the state assembly poll results.
Asked what if Shinde goes with rival NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar to become the chief minister for a second time, Shirsat said, "We are committed to (follow) whatever Eknath Shinde decides. We will be solidly with him. We trust him and it will always be there."
The MLA from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (West) was responding to the question asked on a TV channel.
Shirsat said Shinde, who took over as CM in June 2022 after revolting against the then leadership of the Shiv Sena, only goes in the "right direction" and this has been the experience of party leaders.
Shirsat was one of the Shiv Sena MLAs who sided with Shinde at the time of the revolt.
Asked about the comments of his ally, BJP leader Pravin Darekar said, "Shirsat's remarks do not reflect the official stance of the party. Eknath Shinde's party contested against Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). Such an alliance with the MVA was inconceivable."
The BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP headed by deputy CM Ajit Pawar are members of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. On the other hand, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Asked what if Shinde is not made the CM again if Mahayuti retains power, Shirsat said, "A decision on this will be taken only by Eknath Shinde. It's his right and we cannot even comment on it. Whatever decision Shinde takes will be acceptable to us."
Voting for the 288-member state assembly concluded on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
