DHAKA: Conservationists in Bangladesh said on Tuesday that tourists dropping rubbish in the world´s largest mangrove forest had seriously damaged the ecosystem, forcing the imposition of a single-use plastic ban in the World Heritage site.
The Sundarbans forest straddles the Bangladeshi coastline and is home to some of the world´s rarest creatures, including the Bengal tiger and the Irrawaddy dolphin. Some 200,000 tourists visit each year, according to government figures, on top of seasonal visits by fishermen and harvesters of wild honey who depend on the ecosystem´s bounties.
“When they visit the forest, they bring in disposable water bottles, one-time use plastic food plates, soft-drink bottles and cans,” Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, a government forest conservator, told AFP.
Bangladesh environment minister Md. Shahab Uddin announced a single-use plastic ban covering 6,500 square kilometres (2,500 square miles) of the forest late on Monday.
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