Greenland et al., 2002:

"Entanglement in rope, fishing line, bags and ghost nets as well as in crabpots and float-lines has been an increasing problem through 2001 (29 reported cases) and 2002 (52 reported cases).

Ingestion of synthetic material

Seven turtles were found to have ingested synthetic material in 2001 while there were nine cases in 2002. 

2001

 

• K35084 Loggerhead turtle, sub adult. Released alive after a longline hook in the oesophagus was removed.
• T51043 Loggerhead turtle, sub adult male. Beach washed dead with a swallowed crab pot line coming out of its mouth.
• Z4544 Green turtle, adult. Beach washed dead with swallowed fishing line protruding from the mouth.
• Z4661 Unidentified turtle, immature. Alive and released after a hook imbedded in the mouth and fishing line wrapped around the front flipper was removed.
• Z4784 Green turtle, immature. Beach washed dead with intestines found to be obstructed by plastic.
• Z4857 Hawksbill turtle, juvenile female. Died shortly after beach washing with a fishing hook imbedded in the throat.
• Z5015 Green turtle, adult female. Died shortly after beach washing and found to have several boluses of fishing line, causing damage to the lining of the small and large intestine.
  

2002

  

• Q11015 Green, post hatchling. Died soon after beach washing and found to have ingested plastic that was blocking the intestines.
• Z5152 Green turtle, adult. Beach washed dead with fishing line trailing out of the cloaca.
• Z5227 Hawksbill turtle, immature. Died with fishing hook embedded in throat.
• Z5255 Green turtle, immature. Died with fishing line trailing out of the mouth.
• Z5259 Green turtle, sub adult. Beach washed dead with gang hooks imbedded in chest and mouth.
• Z5262 Green turtle, adult. Beach washed dead with monofilament fishing line coming out of the mouth and wrapped around the front flipper.
• Z5316 Green turtle, immature. Died soon after beach washing, with fishing line extending from the oesophagus through the entire length of the digestive tract, finishing just short of the cloaca.
• Z5466 Green turtle, immature female. Died and autopsy found a length of nylon fishing line with swivel attached causing a gangrenous and inflated bowel. The line ran for two meters along the small intestine."

Figure 1.  Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fishing line coming from the mouth.  Captured during a turtle rodeo in Moreton Bay in 1994. Photo credit Queensland Parks and Wildlife. 

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Citation and/or URL

Greenland, J.A., Limpus,  C.J., and Currie, K.J. 2002.  Queensland marine wildlife stranding and mortality database annual report 2001 - 2002 II. Marine Turtles. Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. 73pp 

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Spatial Coverage

State of Queensland 

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Temporal Coverage

2001 and 2002 

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Update Frequency

Not applicable 

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Other Information

None