Horrific: The effects of debris on sea lions and seals has been highlighted in a new video by fishing authorities. In this image a dead sea lion can be seen pinned by her flippers in a windsock, which led to her drowningThe devastating effects of debris on sea lions and seals has been highlighted in a video by fishing authorities in Alaska.
Horrific images show the marine animals with their necks tightly bound and cut with bands and fishing nets and others with fishing lures hanging from their mouths.
In one of the more gruesome images a dead sea lion can be seen pinned by her flippers in a windsock, which led to her drowning.
Upsetting: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released the video to highlight the effects of fishing gear and other debris on marine animals. Here, a fishing lure can be seen trapped on a sea lion
It is thought that many of the animals become trapped in plastic bands when they are young.
But as they get older and grow, the bands slowly cut into their bodies, which can lead to strangulation.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released the video to highlight the effects of fishing gear and other debris on the animals.
Work to be done: This sea lion has a large red fishing lure trapped in her mouth. Scientists believe they are under-estimating the number of animals which are affected by the problem
Gruesome: This picture shows how a band trapped around a sea lions neck has caused horrific injuriesIt revealed that 386 animals had picked up debris.
Plastic packing bands - used to secure boxes - and rubber bands were found to be the most common items which ended up around the necks of the animals.
Metal flasher lures, which are used when fishing for salmon, were the most frequent fishing gear ingested.
Lauri Jemison, a wildlife biologist in the Steller Sea Lion program of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who took part in the study, told LiveScience:
Painful: A band is wrapped around the body of this seal. It is believed the bands become trapped around the bodies of the young animals which tighten as they grow, possible strangling them
Worrying: A dead seal with a fishing lure trapped in its face. Researchers say sea birds and turtles are also getting injured because of sea debris'We are certainly underestimating the number of animals entangled.
'We go out every summer here in southeastern Alaska and we try to visit every haul out (where animals come to shore) and rookery (where they breed) at least once.'
Researchers say they could have missed counting some of the animals which didn't come to shore or were not visible in a crowd of sea lions.
The horrific effects of sea debris also affect other marine wildlife, including sea birds and turtles.
As well as the Steller sea lions, northern fur seals also become regularly entangled.
Way forward: Authorities in Alaska are now looking to work with the fishing industry to see how they can lessen the number of injuries and deaths to sea animals through debrisAlthough the researchers found that they don't swallow as much fishing gear as the Steller sea lion, they do get bands trapped around their necks.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is now looking for funding to work with the fishing industry to help prevent the sea lions and seals from becoming trapped in fishing equipment.
People are also being encouraged to cut loops which are thrown into rubbish bins.
source: dailymail
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