More than nine in ten turtles found entangled in discarded plastic are dead by the time they are discovered, British research has revealed.
Plastic rubbish is posing a bigger risk to turtles than oil spills, the study said – with the greatest impact on hatchlings and young turtles.
A review of research into reports of stranded turtles found that 91 per cent of turtles recorded as entangled in string were found dead.
They had suffered serious wounds from the ordeal, leading to maiming, loss of limbs or choking, while some of those that survived had been forced to drag discarded rubbish or debris with them.
It found turtles are being ensnared by waste including lost fishing nets, plastic twine and nylon fishing line, as well as six-pack rings from canned drinks, plastic packaging straps, and balloon and kite strings.
Plastic rubbish is posing a bigger risk to turtles than oil spills, the study said – with the greatest impact on hatchlings and young turtles (stock photo)
Others were discovered caught up in discarded plastic chairs, wooden crates and even weather balloons.
The study, published in Endangered Species Research, sheds light on the threat of pollution to marine turtles – who are also threatened by choking on plastic bags they mistake for prey.
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Lead author Brendan Godley, professor of conservation science at the University of Exeter warned that, as plastic pollution increases, more turtles are likely to become entangled.
Deaths from entanglement have increased substantially over the last century for turtles, as well as marine mammals and birds.
The researchers surveyed experts on the Atlantic, Pacific Caribbean, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean coast. They found that 84 per cent of the 106 that responded said they had found turtles tangled in rubbish.
The report concluded that, based on the survey, more than 1,000 turtles are likely to die each year due to entanglement – although this is likely to be a ‘gross underestimate’ as many will die unseen. Not all dead turtles wash up on beaches, especially young animals, and some decay at sea.
Hatchlings and young sea turtles are particularly susceptible to getting tangled up in fishing gear or floating debris, researchers said.
The study, published in Endangered Species Research, sheds light on the threat of pollution to marine turtles – who are also threatened by choking on plastic bags they mistake for prey (stock photo)
Juvenile members of the species also ride on ocean currents to zones where floating rubbish and debris is concentrated, creating an ‘ecological trap’.
They can also set up home near floating debris and remain there for years.
The research said: ‘Surveyed experts rated entanglement a greater threat to marine turtles than oil pollution, climate change and direct exploitation but less of a threat than plastic ingestion and fisheries bycatch.’
Professor Godley said: ‘Plastic rubbish in the oceans, including lost or discarded fishing gear which is not biodegradable, is a major threat to marine turtles.
‘We found, based on beach strandings, that more than 1,000 turtles are dying a year after becoming tangled up but this is almost certainly a gross underestimate.’
He added: ‘Experts we surveyed found that entanglement in plastic and other pollution could pose a long-term impact on the survival of some turtle populations and is a greater threat to them than oil spills.
‘We need to cut the level of plastic waste and pursue biodegradable alternatives if we are to tackle this grave threat to turtles’ welfare.’ The research team surveyed experts who rescue turtles in 43 countries, to find out if they had discovered any which had been tangled up.
They also found 23 reports of entangled turtles in peer-reviewed publications, magazines, newspapers and other articles.
All species of turtle were found entangled, but Olive Ridley turtles, a species which forages in areas where marine debris accumulates, were the most likely to be found ensnared. Most entanglements recorded were in fishing gear.
Since the 1950s, the fishing industry has replaced natural fibres such as cotton with plastic materials such as nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene, which does not biodegrade in water.
The report concludes: ‘Entanglement with anthropogenic plastic materials such as discarded fishing gear, as well as land-based sources, is an underreported and underresearched threat to marine turtles.’