A male sperm whale which died after stranding on the Isle of Harris (Scotland) was found to have various items of debris in its stomach which included fishing nets, rope, packing straps, bags and plastic cups.
A necropsy carried by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) found the whale wasn’t in particularly poor condition although the amount of plastic was undoubtedly a factor in its live stranding – once again this death highlights the deadly impact marine litter and fishing gear is having on cetaceans. In Scotland whale and dolphin strandings are on the increase – 204 reports in 2009, rising to more than 930 in 2018.
Photo Credit: Dan Parry
