All the turtles treated at La Tahonilla have ingested plastics throughout their lives. Each year they receive an average of ninety specimens to the wildlife center of the Council of Tenerife. The cleaning of the filters of the recovery pools and the analysis of the faeces of the animals show the presence of artificial residues. Kilos of garbage thrown into the sea by human beings that the turtles swallow.
“Microplastic contamination is a serious problem that affects the waters of the seas around the world,” says the island councilor for Natural Environment Management, Isabel García. She adds that “in La Tahonilla the presence of these materials is evident, since the turtles often enter through entanglement of nets or bags.”
in the digestive system
The recorded incidents coincide in the recurring presence of pieces of plastic in the digestive system. Experts warn that “society must be extremely careful in waste management, especially in a territory as close to the sea as this is.”
Alejandro Suárez, veterinarian at La Tahonilla, reflects: “Sea turtles are one of the species most affected by plastic pollution in their natural habitat, as this material is often confused with food such as algae and jellyfish.”
The chance of dying from a turtle that ingests a piece of plastic is increased by 20%. “And, the more you eat, the more the risk grows,” Suárez values.
The Center provides veterinary care to specimens of sea turtles that are affected by various pathologies. Remains of microplastics continue to be found in the filters of the swimming pools of the facilities in which the turtles are periodically rehabilitated. An evident proof of the constant intake of them in their natural environment.
Alejandro Suárez (veterinarian at La Tahonilla): “It is enough for them to eat a piece for the probability of death to increase by 20%”
fundamental alteration
Suárez continues indicating that, “due to the continuous ingestion of microplastics, the gastrointestinal microbiota of animals is altered, which alters their digestion and that causes them to accumulate gas, causing buoyancy problems in the sea, which makes them unable to continue feeding. ”. These plastics are composed of different substances, among which can be found toxic, which affect turtles in various ways.
Likewise, the consumption of microplastics also alters digestion and produces physical changes in the digestive system of this species. An example of this is the case of a loggerhead sea turtle that entered the recovery center with traces of nylon in its rectal opening.
During 2021, the center recovered 91 specimens, many of which were returned to their natural environment. The most common species on the Canary coasts are the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) or the green turtle (Chelonia mydas).
