By J. Jala, Helen Castano|12:07 AM August 11, 2020
Three pieces of plastic bags, a meter long of nylon fishing line, unraveled threads of nylon rope, candy wrapper, part of a biscuit wrapper and several shorter strands of thin nylon lines were found inside the intestines of the two out of the seven sea turtles that were found in Bohol in separate occasions last month.
This is the recent findings that the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) released after conducting necropsy procedures on the leatherback turtle and the green sea turtle.
Dr. Jo Marie Acebes, senior museum researcher of NMP in Tagbilaran and volunteers from non-profit society Balyena.org.ph led the procedures at the laboratory of the College of Arts and Sciences of Holy Name University, with assistance from their faculty and staff, the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) and DENR-CENRO Tagbilaran and Cortes.
According to Dr. Acebes’ report, there were no obvious external signs of injury or lesions on the adult male leatherback turtle. However, they noted that there was “tissue hemorrhaging found in the empty gastro-intestinal tract”.
“Notably, three small plastic bags and a foreign egg-like object were also found in the stomach and intestines, respectively,” the report indicated.
The green sea turtle found in Maribojoc was an adult female measuring 103 cm.
The team had to exhumed the carcass a day after it was buried.
Proper examination of the internal organs was not possible since it was decomposing but it was opened up to check for any non-biodegradable or foreign objects in its gastro-intestinal tract.
Apart from the seagrass, there were several small pieces of assorted plastic objects found inside its intestines. Over a meter long of nylon fishing line, unraveled threads of nylon rope, candy wrapper, part of a biscuit wrapper and several shorter strands of thin nylon lines were found.
Acebes raised a concern over the many reports of strandings of these endangered species in a span of a month.
A total of seven marine turtles have stranded several days apart: a green sea turtle in Talibon on 1 July; a leatherback turtle again in Talibon on 12 July; four green sea turtles, one in Garcia-Hernandez on 15 July; one in Bunga Mar, Jagna on 20 July; one in Guinsularan, Duero on July 25 and another in Maribojoc on 26 July; and an unidentified marine turtle in Naatang, Jagna on 16 July.
“This is the highest number of strandings within a short period of time in the province. Several stretches of beaches of Bohol are known nesting sites for green and hawksbill turtles,” a portion of Acebes’ report read.
“Although the plastics found inside two of the animals cannot be directly linked to their strandings and eventual deaths, it certainly affected the overall health of the animals. These events are stark reminders of how plastic trash and other non-biodegradable garbage in the seas are harming the marine life in this sea with one of the highest biodiversity in our country,” it further read.
Two of the other marine turtles that stranded, the green sea turtles from Talibon and from Duero, were both reportedly found with tumor-like growths but they could not ascertain what caused the stranding or death.
Acebes emphasized that there is a need to inform local authorities about the importance of preserving the carcass of a stranded animal immediately after death.
“Freezing is the best method of preservation until a necropsy can be conducted,” Acebes added.
Acebes also called for training of citizen scientists to alert them and dispatch a detailed report immediately.
The Bohol Sea is also known for the common occurrence of these species, together with other large marine vertebrates such as whales, dolphins, whale sharks and manta rays.
