Plastic mistaken as food blocks up hawksbill turtle

PASSING MATTER: James Chatterton with a hawksbill turtle, which will, hopefully, rid itself of plastic.

One of three turtles fighting for life after being found on Northland beaches appears to be slowly but surely moving in the right direction.

The hawksbill, found in a critical condition near Baylys Beach on September 22, has a bowel blockage, probably caused by eating plastic debris it mistook for a jelly fish.

X-rays show the messy mass is shifting, thanks to decent doses of laxatives being first administered at Auckland Zoo and now at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life. The young male hawksbill has passed small pieces of plastic in the last few days and vets expect the bulk of the problem, a backlog of sand and debris, to pass within the week.

That turtle was transferred from the zoo this week for ongoing care at Kelly Tarlton's, where it joins another young hawksbill also found on Northland's west coast in September. A green sea turtle rescued around the same time is still critically ill at Auckland Zoo, and its future hangs in the balance.

"When Department of Conservation [DoC] staff brought these turtles down from Dargaville and Kaitaia, they were in a seriously bad way," Auckland Zoo senior vet James Chatterton said.

"They were all severely emaciated, dehydrated, suffering from bacterial infections and covered in algae and barnacles."

Dr Chatterton said the zoo and Kelly Tarlton's team also worked together last year treating turtles that had ingested plastic.

"It's pretty distressing to see the impact we humans are having on marine life like this. A recent WWF report suggests 50 per cent of aquatic species have been lost in the past 40 years, with sea turtles one of the most affected, and significantly impacted by plastic in the ocean."

Hawksbill and green sea turtles, both endangered species, are generally found in warmer waters but can be washed up on to New Zealand's shores during colder periods if they are weak and ill.

Kelly Tarlton curator Andrew Christie said these turtles often mistook plastics and other rubbish for staple food such as jellyfish and sponges.

"Once they swallow them, this causes a blockage and begins a slow, agonising death," Mr Christie said.

If well enough, the turtles could be released back to the wild later this summer when the water off Northland's coast has warmed.

Anyone coming across a turtle on a beach should contact the local DoC office on 0800 HOT DOC (0800 362 468)