Beaked whale in Norway had 30 plastic bags in stomach
A sick Cuvier’s beaked whale that was euthanized after stranding on a beach in southwestern Norway, had thirty plastic bags and other waste in his stomach. The discovery was made during an necropsy of the whale by a team from the University of Bergen.
The 20ft adult male whale beached on the island of Sotra, near Bergen on Saturday despite attempts to send it back out to sea. According to Dr Terje Lislevand, one of the team who performed the necropsy: “The whale’s stomach was full of plastic bags and packaging with labels in Danish and English.” He went on to say that whale was probably in serious pain for a long time before he stranded, the first time this species has stranded in Norway.
The bags included sweet wrappers, bread bags and a crisp packet. It is believed the whale may have mistaken them for squid which they usually prey on.
The United Nations estimates that about 8 million tons of plastic rubbish are put in the oceans every year.
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