The loss of life of a uncommon leatherback turtle is being investigated after it was discovered washed ashore on a seashore north of Sydney on the weekend.
Key factors:
- A useless leatherback turtle has been discovered on the Northern Seashores
- A necropsy is being undertaken to find out the trigger
- Six leatherbacks have been discovered useless alongside Central Coast seashores in 2022
The animal, which is the most important sea turtle on the planet and an endangered species, was discovered at Whale Seaside on Sunday.
Employees from the Australian Registry of Wildlife Well being at Taronga Zoo are endeavor a necropsy of the animal to find out the way it died.
It follows the deaths of six leatherbacks off the Central Coast round an analogous time final yr.
A leatherback turtle was additionally launched from a shark web and microchipped by the Division of Main Industries off Killcare Seaside on the Central Coast on Friday.
The Nationwide Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson mentioned the turtle was not believed to be the identical one which was discovered caught within the shark web final week.
“An preliminary scan has discovered no microchip,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Whale Seaside is without doubt one of the most northern seashores in Northern Sydney and is positioned throughout the Hawkesbury River channel from the place the turtle was present in a shark web on Friday.
The spokesperson mentioned the outcomes from the necropsy of the useless turtle might take weeks to finalize as a result of superior decomposition of the carcass.
The Australian Museum can be working to get better the “extremely helpful” skeleton from the specimen for its assortment.
Leatherback turtle numbers have dramatically declined previously century because of fisheries bycatch and intense egg assortment.
It’s estimated there are as few as 2,300 grownup females remaining within the wild throughout the Pacific inhabitants.
Shark web issues raised
The latest incidents have prompted wildlife specialists to name for shark nets to be faraway from Central Coast seashores.
A authorities report final yr revealed 11 leatherback turtles have been caught in shark nets off the Central Coast between 2021 and 2022.
It discovered that out of the 16 endangered turtles caught throughout the state throughout that point, 5 have been useless.
The Nationwide Parks and Wildlife Service mentioned six leatherbacks washed up useless on Central Coast seashores final yr and whereas it’s unknown whether or not these turtles have been caught in shark nets, some necropsies discovered proof of entanglement.
Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast founder Cathy Gilmore mentioned she believed shark nets did extra hurt than good.
“A shark web is as ineffective as a volleyball web out in your entrance yard attempting to cease a magpie from swooping in magpie season throughout spring,” he mentioned.
There are 14 shark nets positioned throughout seashores on the Central Coast.
The Central Coast Council mentioned it could take into account trialling the elimination of shark nets as soon as good drumlines have been put in at each patrolled seashore.
Killcare, Umina and Lakes Seaside are the final patrolled seashores but to have good drumlines put in.
The State Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, mentioned he was dedicated to having shark nets faraway from native seashores.
“I have been lobbying minister Dugald Saunders to have DPI take a look at offering these further three good drumlines,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the following step was for the council to use for an expression of curiosity to trial the elimination.