Marine Pollution: Dugong's pollution-related death in Thailand raising awareness

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A baby dugong that died in Thai waters after swallowing plastic waste has become a symbol in the fight against marine pollution. Tragic as it is, however, it's hoped her case shed more light on the dangers and consequences of discarding waste inappropriately, as CGTN's Martin Lowe reports.

This was Mariam, a baby dugong, or sea cow. Mariam caught the attention of millions when she was washed up in southern Thailand with a stomach full of plastic waste.

She was an internet-sensation as people followed round-the-clock efforts to save her – and was widely mourned when she succumbed and died.

Now marine conservationists believe Mariam can become a symbol in the global battle against ocean pollution.

Dr. THON THAMRONGNAWASAWAT MARINE BIOLOGIST, KASETSART UNIVERSITY, BANGKOK "The public in Thailand love Mariam very much because we have live (pictures) all the time, everybody can see Mariam swimming around, so when she died because of the plastic bag, it was a shock for Thai society."

Thailand is one of the world's worst polluters, every year millions of tons of plastic waste is dumped. Much ends up in the sea, like this 10-kilometer "trash island" found floating off tourist beaches in 2017.

The Mariam Project calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws and cups; re-defining fishing zones; collecting ocean waste by boat and building clinics for endangered species.

Dr. THON THAMRONGNAWASAWAT MARINE BIOLOGIST, KASETSART UNIVERSITY, BANGKOK "We would like to encourage the government to re-schedule the banning of single-use plastic, we plan to ban the plastic bag in three years, now we try to do it one year earlier."

MARTIN LOWE BANGKOK "Mariam is an Arabic name meaning 'lady of the sea' – she was the first dugong to be cared for by humans in Thailand. Every move of her battle for survival was watched on social media, with regular updates being posted online. There was much sadness when she died."

But Mariam isn't the only animal victim. A second dugong has since died in Thailand from ingesting pollution - and in 2018 a pilot whale perished with 80 plastic bags in its stomach. Here, a diver frees a fish trapped in a plastic bag near Phuket.

Conservationists believe that upset over Mariam can be a spur to renew efforts to cut plastic waste. Mariam was just eight months old when she died, many hope her short life, and tragic death, can have a lasting impact in the fight to save the seas.

Martin Lowe, CGTN, Bangkok.