The way it is written implies there is a connection between the trash they saw and the whale's tumour. I believe this is what the "fear mongering" is referring to, as there is no evidence to support that link.

The environment may be damaged but the state of journalism is so poor that sometimes it's hard to tell if the story is based in fact or just a boat load of feelings.

The whale is dying! [All whales will die.] Won't somebody please think of the children?

It does have a whiff of sensationalism, but perhaps that's the old cognitive dissonance in action, because thia article is scary.