Millions of sea turtles trapped by fishing nets
Posted by staff / April 16, 2010
The number of sea turtles inadvertently snared by commercial fishing gear over the past 20 years may reach into the millions, according to the first peer-reviewed study to compile sea turtle bycatch data from gillnet, trawl, and longline fisheries worldwide. Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles are currently listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
“Fisheries bycatch is the most acute threat to worldwide sea turtle populations today. Many animals die or are injured as a result of these interactions,” says Bryan Wallace, lead author of the study and an adjunct assistant professor at Duke University. “But our message is that it’s not a lost cause. Managers and fishers have tools they can use to reduce bycatch, preserve marine biodiversity, and promote healthy fish stocks, so that everyone wins, including turtles.”
Conservation International has posted some amazing and heartbreaking sea turtle images.
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Credit: Goncalo Veiga/Wikimedia Commons
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