Marine conservation group Oceana Philippines is urging the country to act against marine plastic pollution due to its potential threats to the country’s food security. In a statement, Oceana vice president Gloria Estenzo Ramos said the primary source of marine plastic pollution problem is single-use plastic which turns into microplastics that take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose and wreaks havoc on the environment. “Even larger plastics such as polyethylene plastic bags cause direct threats to whales and turtles as they get inadvertently ingested and cause blockages to the gut,” Ramos said.

Talavera, C. (2021, July 13). Marine plastic pollution poses threat to food security – Oceana. The Philippine Star, p. B6.