Over 300 Endangered Turtles Found Dead In A Discarded Fishing Net

Sep 24, 2018

Around the world, endangered species are dying at faster and faster rates. If you love animals, then this photo will break your heart. The photo was taken in Oaxaca, Mexico. Because of a fishing net, hundreds of turtles ended up dying.

The worst part of the story is that none of the turtles had to die. Recently, Mexico's environmental protection agency announced the deaths of more than 300 olive ridley sea turtles. These poor turtles were found floating together in a net.

Because of the net, the turtles could not dive into the sea. The sun baked their skin and made their shells crack. For more than a week, these poor turtles were trapped in the heat. Many of the turtles had injuries from nets and fishing hooks.

Unfortunately, these are not the only sea turtles to die. A few days before this story, 113 turtles washed ashore in the Mexican state of Chiapas. This is about 100 miles away from the new tragedy.

Bryan Wallace is a marine biologist. For the last two decades, he has studied sea turtles. While the cause of death cannot be certain, he thinks that the turtles in Oaxaca may have died from a ghost net.

This type of net is like other fishing nets. The only difference is that it becomes lost or left behind by the owner. Once the net is released into the ocean, it can trap smaller animals. Larger predators show up to eat the smaller animals. Before long, the large predators are trapped in the net as well.

For hundreds of turtles to die, the net was most likely in the water for a long time. This theory is backed up by the decomposition of the sea turtles. Unfortunately, ghost nets are a common problem in the ocean.

Normally, the olive ridley sea turtle comes to Mexico's coastline to mate. In the United States, this turtle is classified as endangered. Because of the population declines, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature states that the olive ridley sea turtle is vulnerable to extinction.

In normal circumstances, the turtle can live for up to 50 years. It is the smallest species of sea turtles in the entire world. Unlike some species, the olive ridley sea turtle is only found within warm, tropical areas.

In Mexico, authorities are working to protect this sea turtle. In 1990, Mexico banned capturing sea turtles. If someone is discovered killing a sea turtle, they face huge fines. The recent deaths sparked a new investigation by the Mexican authorities. Hopefully, they will find the culprit so that this type of tragedy can be prevented.

You can help scientists save this endangered species. Spread awareness of this story and prevent sea turtles from becoming extinct.