Humans and Sea Turtles - the impact of fishing

The coastal people totally depend on fishing for their living and economically are dependent on

this activity. But even though many are benefiting through fishing activity unfortunately they do

create risk factors for the sea turtles. There is a danger of deterioration of the ecosystem because of

fishing more than the limits and destroying the natural habitats. And the use of fishing gears and

certain other properties affect the environment too. So this activity of fishing which men do for their

living could become a dangerous fact for these little creatures to survive. This impact of fishing has

built a huge pressure on the hearts of people and to find a way to save the sea creatures.

Humans play a very important role in the life of every sea turtle. Actually, they are the basic danger

for the survival of the Sea turtles. Sea turtle hunting is strictly prohibited in all coastal areas but still,

these sea animals are being caught for their meat and to get the shells for making creative

decorative things. And these sea reptiles feed on almost any kind of food but the great disadvantage

for them is that they are not able to digest every food they eat. The sea turtles at times swallow few

synthetic non-biodegradable materials which they find difficult to digest, and so creates a blockage

in the intestines. Similarly, sea turtles at times might try to eat the fishing hooks and this hook might

get entangled inside the digestive tract of the sea turtle causing it to die.

Sea turtles are also found being caught in the buoy lines and even they might get entangled in the

fishing lines. Now, these fishing lines are not biodegradable. And if the sea turtles get caught inside

these fishing lines they are difficult to get away from them because the fishing lines are extremely

strong to be escaped. Now we all know that the sea turtles swim in the ocean using their flippers,

when the turtles move the flippers in circular motion they help them to swim swiftly. But at times

these flippers of the sea turtles might get caught in the buoy lines or fishing lines and might get

entangled. Since the lines are very strong once they are caught in them they find it very hard to

escape from the net. The turtles caught in such a manner might drown and die or at times the turtles

may get their flippers hurt and might lose them too. So care should be taken not to endanger sea

turtles.

Always remember we are the real caretakers for this treasure we hold for so many decades!