KUCHING: The ‘No Plastic Straw’ campaign by Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is a good initiative, said Nurdalillah Amirah Bakri, a Sarawak Forestry Corporation conservation officer.
“It gives the public a chance to participate,” she added while commenting on an announcement by Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng on the successful initiative to stop the use of one million plastic straws in two years’ time.
“The data suggests that it does work. Such campaigns should be implemented in other areas as the conservation needs all everyone’s help,” she told New Sarawak Tribune on Sunday (Feb 20).
“Though (plastic) straws seem innocent, they pose a shocking, lesser-known underwater reality for our turtles.
“Hungry adult-sized turtles will mistakenly identify whatever that’s floating as their food and in the long run, will succumb to malnutrition due to all the plastics they consume.
“Meanwhile, baby hatchlings are small, vulnerable and rely on seaweed mats for food source and protection against predators.
“Plastics straws break down into what we call microplastics, which settle on these mats and those hatchlings end up just like their hungry adults,” she explained.
Turtle conversation programmes such as a turtle adoption programme could be beneficial and should be consistently advertised.
“People need to understand where we’re coming from –from the plastic straw standpoint,” said Amirah.
She also pointed out the important role of the media in conservation.
“Remind the public to opt for other reusable materials rather than single-use plastics through the print, online and even social media,” she suggested.
