Rapid mobilization efforts helped to rescue a threatened sea lion from plastic waste, according to KUSI News.
Researchers from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were monitoring the Salish Sea by drone for killer whale activity when they noticed a sea lion with a plastic ring embedded around its neck.
Combined efforts between the SeaDoc Society, The Whale Museum, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Vancouver Aquarium helped free the Steller sea lion from the plastic ring. The organizations aided its rehabilitation and returned it to the wild, where it was seen feeding and swimming normally 14 days later.
The Steller sea lion is a near-threatened species, as it is often targeted by fishermen who compete for the same fish stocks. Reduced fisheries may be the cause of steep sea lion declines along the Alaskan coast, though some studies suggest that changing migration patterns caused by climate shifts are also increasing predation by orcas.
Plastic pollution is a major problem for many animals on both land and sea. These plastics can break down into particles and easily enter human food streams. Once ingested, microplastics can cause a range of digestive, endocrine, renal, circulatory, immune, neurological, and reproductive health problems.
Abandoned fishing gear is a regular culprit in sea animal injuries. Nearly half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of lines and nets that have been cut or otherwise abandoned at sea. Between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing gear are abandoned every year, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.
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Plastic recycling is notoriously ineffective, so the best way of avoiding these issues is to opt for plastic-free alternatives as much as possible. It's also possible to take local action by participating in beach cleanups to stem the tide of plastic waste, which needlessly hurts wildlife.
"The problem is us, the problem is garbage," Martin Haulena from the Vancouver Aquarium said. "It's a human interaction injury that could be easily prevented."
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