Marine Wildlife

Sea Turtles and Plastic Ingestion

Plastic pollution poses a severe and growing threat to sea turtles across all ocean basins, causing internal injury and death.

Key Facts

Over 52% of sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic debris
Plastic can block the digestive tract, causing starvation even when the turtle continues eating
Turtles mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish — a primary food source
Plastic ingestion increases sea turtle mortality risk by 22% for each piece consumed above 14
Six of seven sea turtle species are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered

Welfare Considerations

Plastic ingestion causes prolonged suffering: turtles may feel satiated while starving, experience intestinal blockage, or suffer internal lacerations from sharp fragments. The suffering is insidious because it is invisible until the animal is near death.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption, especially bags and food packaging
Participate in coastal cleanup events to remove plastic before it reaches the ocean
Support extended producer responsibility laws that hold manufacturers accountable for plastic waste