BANGKOK: Last month, a dead sea turtle was washed ashore in Chonburi. It was identified as a female endangered green sea turtle aged about 20.
An examination by the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre in the Thai coastal province later showed its intestines were full of nylon string and fibre from fishing nets, plastic debris, nails and even pins.
Marine trash obstructed the animal’s gastrointestinal system and eventually killed it.
Among the culprits: The recent annual festival of Loy Krathong.
This case has sparked discussions about marine waste and the annual celebration of Loy Krathong – an old tradition in Thailand where people pay respects to the goddess of water on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month.
“Do fish and marine life know about preserving the Loy Krathong tradition? No, they don’t, but it makes their lives more difficult,” said Tanawan Sintunawa, vice president and secretary general of the Green Leaf Foundation.
The foundation was established in 1998 by various organisations both in the public and private sectors to promote environmentally friendly tourism in Thailand.
Loy means to float in Thai language while krathong means a container. The container is a traditional offering usually made from banana leaves and stems, sometimes styrofoam, and decorated with flowers, candles and incense sticks.
Many of them also contain nails, pins and staples used to hold different components together.
This year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand promoted the event as “one of Thailand’s most popular and most visually stunning annual festivals”, and invited tourists to experience “the beauty, charm, and culture” of Loy Krathong celebrations on Nov 8 nationwide.
In just over two weeks, however, the country learnt about the dead sea turtle, whose life was cut short by marine trash.
Source: CNA
