'Never seen this many': Startling discovery inside turtle raises concern for marine life
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Australian fishermen are being urged to exercise greater caution when fishing after a harmful discovery was made inside a turtle's stomach. This discovery highlights a serious issue affecting Australian marine life.
The 50 kg green sea turtle was saved by a local in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, who discovered the creature "weak and floating in the water." The animal was then taken to Taronga Wildlife Hospital, where an X-ray showed an all-too-common issue.
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'It's an increasing problem'
Senior veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest disclosed on March 5 that the turtle, who is thought to be a 40-year-old female, had her "intestines pierced by fishing line" and had swallowed seven fishing hooks. He claimed that the animal's chances of survival were extremely slim when it appeared at the hospital this week in a very bad state. "I've never seen this many fishing hooks inside one turtle so it was a very difficult and delicate surgery," he said. "I was very concerned that this turtle wouldn’t survive because of the extent of the damage."
Libby Hall, the coordinator for rescue and rehabilitation at Taronga Wildlife Hospital, told Yahoo News Australia that the number of animals affected by fishing barbs and lines has increased. "It's an increasing problem," she said. "This problem is not only impacting marine turtles, but seabirds like cormorants, swans and pelicans as well. We have even seen species like herons, magpies, magpie-larks and tawny frogmouths getting entangled in discarded fishing line, so it is a huge problem," she explained.
'It's all about responsibility and care for our ocean'
Fishing hooks can be troublesome, but according to Dr Vogelnest, fishing line can often be worse and result in a "slow and painful death." The intestines may "bunch up" with the line over time, causing harm as the line eventually cuts through the organ. According to marine scientist Caitlin Smith, turtles that live in coastal regions are especially at risk from discarded fishing gear, which includes nets, hooks, and lines. She claimed that most areas with a lot of recreational fishing have bins designed especially for used fishing gear. "However, lines often get cut or lost," she told Yahoo.
The staff at Taronga Wildlife Hospital is advising anglers, both industrial and recreational, to be aware of their fishing lines and to get help if they unintentionally hook a turtle. The Australian Marine Conservation Society's campaign manager for fisheries and endangered species, Alexia Wellbelove, told Yahoo that "it's all about responsibility and care for our ocean. We need to be conscious of where any product — whether that be hooks or plastics — is going," she said. "And if a fisher gets an animal trapped, then they need to deal with it rather than just cutting the line and letting the animal go."
The turtle underwent a risky five-hour surgery
The turtle, is the sixth to be rescued and saved by Taronga Wildlife Hospital this year, endured a risky five-hour surgery. Australian seas are home to six of the world's seven marine turtle species, all of which are classified as vulnerable or endangered. "While she’s not quite out of the woods yet, she is eating and doing well so I feel quietly optimistic about the outcome, even if that does include a long road to recovery," Dr Vogelnest said.