MARATHON, Fla. – This week’s Don’t Trash Our Treasure has a concerning update on Florida sea turtles. Though nesting numbers are up, adult turtles continue to face threats due to human pressure.
Conservationists are warning that more and more of these gentle creatures are getting tangled in marine lines, and not all of them survive.
“That’s why I’m sounding the alarm, because in 13 years, it’s more than I’ve ever seen,” said Bette Zirkelbach, general manager of The Turtle Hospital in Marathon.
Conservationists warn it’s happening way too often, and it’s endangering South Florida sea turtles.
“Something has changed,” said Zirkelbach. “It’s not a coincidence when you get an average of one a week. Last week, I had two in two days.”
For the past few months, Zirkelbach has been documenting a disturbing trend, an uptick in the number of rescued sea turtles coming in after being found ensnared in trap lines.
“Since Feb. 18, we have had eight entanglements,” she said. “That’s an average of one a week.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the increase, saying in a statement:
“The number of these entanglements (in line equal to or greater than 0.5 cm in diameter) that we have documented so far this year is 16. The previous 5-year average through April is 10. So, yes, sea turtle entanglements have been above average so far this year.”
“If we’re seeing one a week, how many are out there that are not being reported,” wondered Zirkelbach.
She fears there are sea turtles that don’t survive and are never found. The entanglements can be severe enough to acutely restrain or even immobilize the biggest and strongest of species.
“And because of the tide, it is unable to come up to breathe, so it essentially is entangled and drowns in the trap line,” said Zirkelbach.
Zirkelbach says she documented at least four fatalities in the past four months of turtles tangled in lines.
“The guess is its commercial, because it’s so many, but we don’t know that information,” she said. “And honestly, it’s hard to get the number off the trap and the colors. We’re literally at sea, not in perfect conditions, and it’s all we can do to save the turtle.”
But in a statement released to Local 10, Jerome Young, the executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association, pushed back, maintaining that entanglements are rare.
“Commercial fisherman have reported an exponential rise in turtle numbers. This as the number of commercial fishing traps continues to decline annually under Florida’s state-enforced trap reduction program,” the statement read.
Zirklebach says while nesting numbers may be up, there’s no data showing an increase in adult turtles.
“What we’re also seeing is not as many hatchlings getting out to sea,” she said. “What that means is your hatchling success ratio.”
As of May 1, all commercial traps and lines should’ve been pulled out of the water.
Stone crab season is over until October, but there’s still a big problem with carelessly discarded fishing gear.
Take the case of Oliver, a rescued juvenile green sea turtle who was recently released back into the ocean. He was found off a long key, completely entangled in fishing line.
Greg and Kaleah Keen were picking up trash in the mangroves when they found him.
“He was tangled up,” said Kaleah Keen. “He had a fishing line braid on his flippers.
“He had three or four turns around each flipper, and I think three around his neck,” added Greg Keen.
Oliver is one of the lucky ones. Not only did the Keens quickly free him by cutting the fishing line off, they also called The Turtle Hospital, who responded straight away.
“I don’t believe he would have made it had we not gotten him,” said Kaleah Keen.
Now finally after a month in rehab, Oliver was strong enough to go home.
Zirklebach hopes by highlighting these stories of survival, people will care more and be more conscious about the impact they make on the marine environment, so that rescues like this won’t have to happen as often.
“I feel in my heart of hearts, that people want to do the right thing,” she said. “If they’re aware that these long trap lines are entangling our marine life and literally killing them, that they will do better.”
It’s important to not that this isn’t just about commercial fisherman. There are a lot of rogue traps and lines out there.
This applies to everyone who recreates by the water, to be mindful about your fishing gear. The waste you create at the beach or on your boat and how you dispose of it makes an impact on our marine environment.
As we have seen, careless behavior can lead to deadly consequences.