An eight-metre sperm whale was found dead off the Italian island of Sardinia with 22kg of plastic in its belly, AP reported on Tuesday (Apr 2).

The sperm whale had 22kg of plastic in its stomach when it was found off the Italian island of Sardinia on Monday Apr 1, 2019.. (Photo: SEAME Sardinia Onlus/AP)

WWF said on Monday the garbage recovered in the sperm whale's stomach included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing detergent package with the brand and bar code still legible.

AP added that the female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia last week.

WWF said plastic is one of the greatest threats to marine life and has killed at least five other whales around the world in the last two years.

Just last month, a starving whale with 40kg of plastic trash in its stomach died after being washed ashore in the Philippines.

Activists called it one of the worst cases of poisoning they have seen.

The cuvier's beaked whale died in the southern province of Compostela Valley where it was stranded a day earlier.

A total of 40kg of plastic, including grocery bags and rice sacks were found in the whale's stomach. (Photo: Facebook/D' Bone Collector Museum Inc)

In November last year, a sperm whale found dead in a national park in Indonesia had nearly 6kg of plastic waste, including 115 cups.

The 9.5m whale was found in waters near Kapota Island, part of the Wakatobi National Park, south east of Sulawesi.

A stranded whale with plastic in his belly is seen in Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, Nov 19, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media. (Photo: Reuters/Kartika Sumolang)

In June, the death of a pilot whale in Thailand with 80 pieces of plastic rubbish in its stomach garnered headlines locally, but drew more attention outside the country./.

VNF/CNA