UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- In the shadow of reports of whales and other sea life dying after eating plastic trash, including plastic garbage bags, the United Nations marked on Friday World Oceans Day.
This year's theme focuses on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean, said UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that we must work individually and collectively to stop marine pollution of all kinds, including plastic.
"Action starts at home and speaks louder than words," he said, adding he was taking his message to the G7 summit in Quebec this weekend, where he promised to urge governments to do more to combat this issue.
The United Nations aims to lead by example and that more than 30 agencies have now begun working to end the use of single-use plastic, said Dujarric.
A starving young polite whale was discovered last week off of southern Thailand and despite efforts to save him by veterinarians the whale died, according to published reports.
An examination showed 80 plastic shopping bags and other plastic debris in the whale's stomach, according to a National Geographic report.
In late February scientists in Spain discovered 17 kilos of plastic inside a young sperm whale that had washed up on a beach, published reports said. They believe plastic trash killed that whale as well.
