After a pregnant whale was found dead on a beach in Phuket, Thailand from choking on plastic waste earlier this week, a Cambodian conservation official expressed concerns that non-biodegradable pollution could pose a threat to the country's rare marine species, such as sea turtles, dugongs and Irrawaddy dolphins.

Ouk Vibol, director of the Fisheries Conservation Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, mentioned that there have been no reported cases of rare species in Cambodia dying from ingesting plastic rubbish yet.

However, he warned that improper disposal of plastic and other waste into bodies of water could still negatively affect these species.

Plastic items are used daily, making it difficult to eliminate them despite efforts from relevant ministries to educate and raise awareness, and the issue remains pressing.

"We are concerned about this problem. The careless disposal of plastic or waste leads to water pollution, which could impact dolphins, especially in the Kampi preservation area. However, dolphins do not usually mistake plastic bags for food," Vibol said.

He also explained that sea turtles often feed on a species of jellyfish that is white and can resemble plastic bags.

"Sea turtles feed on jellyfish. If we throw plastic bags into the ocean, turtles might confuse them for jellyfish and eat them, which could lead to serious health risks, but we haven’t encountered this problem yet," he said.

"We are working on strategies and educational campaigns to reduce the use of plastic bags and improper waste disposal in the ocean to protect our rare aquatic species,” Vibol added.

According to the Bangkok Post, after the whale was discovered dead, experts conducted an autopsy and found kilogrammes of plastic waste in its stomach. The whale had been weakened due to a lack of food, as the plastic in its stomach prevented it from sufficiently feeding.

Ministry of Environment spokesperson Khvay Atiya confirmed that he was aware of the case in Thailand and noted that similar instances have been found worldwide, where marine species have died from ingesting plastic. He noted that the world is increasingly focused on addressing plastic pollution.

To reduce usage, the ministry has launched two campaigns: “Today I do not use plastic” and “Clean Cambodia, Khmer Can Do!”, which are being promoted nationwide. The ministry stated that these initiatives have engaged more than 11 million people to date.

Environment minister Eang Sophalleth mentioned in July that the two campaigns have helped reduce plastic use by over 74 per cent in the past 11 months. He said reducing plastic consumption has helped prevent environmental damage, especially in rivers and oceans.

"Without this reduction, around half of the plastic waste could have harmed the environment, either falling into the sea or entering rivers. This is just Cambodia's contribution," he said.