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Our News
Dead Green Turtle Found Stranded in Sai Kung Shocking quantities of marine litter had accumulated inside its digestive system
Last weekend, the body of a Green turtle, believed to have been dead for a period of time, was discovered by a member of the public on Pak Lap Tsai beach in Sai Kung. A large amount of marine litter, including nylon ropes, plastic straps and plastic packaging was found inside the gut of the turtle. Based on the information given to WWF, this is the first evidence-based local case of a sea turtle ingesting marine debris and possibly dying as a result. WWF is both saddened and deeply concerned about this incident.
Miss Wong, who discovered the turtle’s body, told us that on Saturday (24 October), the day of her discovery, she contacted the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to follow up on the issue. The next day she returned to the site, only to find the turtle’s body had been destroyed, possibly by stray dogs. The body was fragmented and its internal organs spread around the area. Miss Wong was shocked. “I am angry about the damage we have done to our marine ecosystem, and at the same time I really feel sorry about what we have done. We have, directly or indirectly, put marine organisms in this difficult situation.”
The litter inside the Green turtle’s body included nylon ropes, plastic straps and packaging wrappers – all plastic products. The survey results for the first year of the Coastal Watch Project, released last week, reveal the seriousness of Hong Kong’s marine litter problem. Plastics constituted between 60 and 85 per cent of the marine litter found in the various survey sites, and the majority of the litter was made up of single-use disposable items such as plastic bags and packaging, as well as plastic ropes and abandoned fishing nets: the very types of litter discovered inside the digestive system of the Green turtle.
Plastic does not degrade easily, persists in the natural environment for a long time, and if ingested, cannot be digested by marine organisms. If not excreted from their bodies, ingested plastic may block or damage their digestive tracts, leading to malnutrition and eventually starvation. Turtles and other marine animals may also become entangled in items of marine debris like abandoned nets and ropes, resulting in the injury or suffocation of these animals. The reproductive success rate of sea turtles may also be lowered if large amounts of litter accumulate on the beaches they use to lay their eggs.
Green turtles are listed as a Threatened species on the IUCN Red List, and are a protected species in Hong Kong. In the past, they laid eggs on various Hong Kong beaches, but now their only regular nesting site is at Sham Wan on Lamma Island. Guards are posted to look after the turtles’ nesting sites during their breeding season to keep the eggs safe.
Patrick Yeung, WWF’s Coastal Watch Project Manager said, “WWF Hong Kong has made enquiries with the AFCD about any cases regarding stranded sea turtles being found to have ingested marine litter, but they had no information for us. This incident is highly concerning, as it proves that sea turtles can and do ingest large amounts of marine litter in Hong Kong waters. This is yet another indicator that marine debris causes serious and significant impacts to the marine ecosystem.”
There are several international research institutes which study sea turtle deaths. Their research has found that between 50 and 80 percent of sea turtles from different countries and regions have ingested marine litter. A study in Brazil discovered that the ingestion of marine litter directly caused the death of sea turtles in 13.2 per cent of studied cases. Many other marine creatures face the same plight as sea turtles: sea birds, fish and whales also face grave threats from marine litter. In Taiwan, a dead sperm whale was recently found with its stomach full of marine litter items like fishing nets and plastic bags.
The Coastal Watch project survey results show that plastic waste is a major threat to local coastal areas which have a high biodiversity, including underwater habitats – places which are seldom visited by the public. WWF Hong Kong strongly believes that the Hong Kong government needs to take this ecological crisis seriously. The government needs to actively approach the marine litter problem from both an ecological and conservation perspective, rather than only being concerned with the hygiene and aesthetic aspects of the problem. Meanwhile, everyone should ensure that their rubbish is disposed of responsibly and properly; as doing so will prevent rubbish from entering the marine environment. People should also consider participating in coastal cleanup activities to pitch in and save our precious marine ecology.
In late August, a dead whale shark was found floating near Cheung Chau. Unfortunately specialists and the relevant authorities were unable to conduct a necropsy to examine its internal organs, due to environmental restrictions. This was a missed opportunity to study how rare local marine organisms are affected by marine debris. WWF-Hong Kong calls on the government to set up a mechanism to investigate how marine organisms are affected or killed by ingesting marine litter, and in future, analyze and publish related data related to the examination of the dead bodies of large or rare marine organisms. This will allow the public to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of marine debris on the local marine ecology.