Rescuers save 400-pound sea turtle tangled in fishing gear on Cape Cod
BARNSTABLE - Three local groups worked together to rescue a 400-pound sea turtle after it became tangled in fishing gear Thursday.
Turtle rescue in Cape Cod Bay
"The turtle had a rope entanglement around the shoulder region of its right front flipper, but fortunately it was detected quickly and the gear was still loose with minimal damage to the flipper," said Dr. Melissa Joblon, the Aquarium's Director of Animal Health.
Responders from the New England Aquarium Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, members of the aquarium's Animal Health team and Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation team, responders from the Center for Costal Studies and the Barnstable Harbormaster came to help the turtle in Cape Cod Bay.
Once the turtle was untangled from the ropes, it was given a checkup and tagged for post-release monitoring. The tags included an acoustic transmitter which will allow the turtle to be monitored for the next 10 years by underwater receivers along the East Coast.
Leatherbacks in danger
"It's critical that we understand the outcomes of leatherback sea turtles after they're disentangled from fishing gear," said Kara Dodge, an Anderson Cabot Research Scientist. "We're using satellite and acoustic tags to monitor their post-release survival and behavior over time. One tag will give us real-time information so that we can keep a watchful eye on this turtle while it's inhabiting our busy coastal waters this summer and fall."
The global population of leatherbacks has dropped 40% over the last three generations, and the greatest threat to the turtles is accidental capture in fishing gear, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dodge has conducted several studies about leatherbacks, including a recent project focused on leatherbacks and fishing gear entanglements.
The turtle, nicknamed 'Phinney' by Barnstable Harbormaster responders, can be followed on the New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Tracker.
To report an entangled sea turtle, call 1-800-900-3622 or U.S. Coast Guard on VHF 16.
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