Scientists at the
American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Denver have warned that
Leatherback turtles could go extinct within a 10 to 30 years if current fishing practices continue.
In addition to
poachers taking eggs from beaches the
4 million baited hooks that are used every day to catch
tuna + swordfish often ensnare leatherback turtles as an unintended by-catch. When turtles try to eat the bait anywhere on the 60km long fishing line they can become snared and as they need air to breathe once they become exhausted they
drown.
In order to reduce this problem the
hooks could be redesigned, longline fishing could be
banned in certain areas + the total amount of
fishing limited.
In a
related story that Earth-Info.Net posted last November we learnt that many large, wide-ranging seabirds such as
albatross + petrels also drown on tuna longlines in the world's southern oceans. These birds could also be better protected by
different fishing practices +
reductions in illegal fishing.