Hook, Line, and Sinker = a Threat to Wildlife
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Marine debris and derelict fishing gear have severely negative impacts on sea turtles and other wildlife, locally and throughout the world. Recently, I assisted in a Northern Right whale disentanglement effort. Right whales spend the winter months in Georgia and northeast Florida waters. In the wild, only 300 of these amazing creatures remain. Many become entangled in fishing gear where they reside in northeastern Atlantic waters. This particular whale had become entangled in derelict lobster pot gear wrapped around its head and mouth. The ropes were embedded very deep into the skin. Two days of intense efforts by a number of experts have been unsuccessful in removing the entangled gear and the whale’s survival depends on it’s removal. This amazing disentanglement team consisting of several individuals, including three local GADNR staff, will continue the gear removal efforts. Like the Northern Right whale, Leatherback sea turtles become entangled in lobster pot gear and the outcome is often fatal. Another example of fishing gear that has huge impacts on a population level is crab traps and their effect on diamondback terrapins. Traps are often abandoned and left in marsh waters where diamondback terrapins reside.
Baited with fish, the traps become a significant threat to foraging diamondback terrapins that find their way into the traps and drown. A simple clip, known as a Terrapin Excluder Device, helps keep these terrapins out of crab traps and part of a viable population. Our colleagues at the University of Georgia recovered a trap in a coastal Georgia creek containing 90 drowned terrapins. This is only one trap and there are thousands more out there.
Plastics, fish hooks, fishing line, and even beach chairs adversely affect a variety of wildlife. The GSTC is having a positive impact on this devastating problem in sea turtles, marine birds and mammals through our efforts in rehabilitation, monitoring (SEANet), and education programs. You can have an impact by containing your trash, cleaning up the beach, recycling fishing line, placing excluder devices on crab traps and checking them frequently, and much more. Please visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn more about this issue and how you can help.
