SCIENTISTS have estimated that Moreton Bay has about 10,000 green turtles on the eastern banks near Moreton Island and many more spread across the bay.
It comes as University of Queensland researchers raise fears that plastics being ingested by marine animals are working their way through the food chain to humans.
They have called on consumers to take action against the packaging material.
Environment Minister Steven Miles said turtle numbers had been severely impacted by hunting for soup.
This ended in August, 1950, and was followed by the declaration of protected marine foraging habitats and nesting beaches within marine and national parks.
Loggerhead hatchlings took 16 years to travel from Queensland’s nesting beaches across the Pacific to South America before returning as half-grown turtles to waters like Moreton Bay. They were under pressure from issues like longline fishing and plastics.
Departmental chief scientist and world renowned turtle authority Col Limpus had found that boat strike also was a major issue in Moreton Bay.
University of Queensland scientist Qamar Schuyler said studies showed that creatures as small as plankton had ingested plastic.
“Unfortunately, what this means is that if the bottom of the food chain is eating plastic it bio accumulates up the food chain and there have been several studies that have looked at food fish – fish that we go out and purchase – and even these fish have plastics in their intestines,” she said.
“The plastic contains toxins and those toxins can leach into the tissues of the fish. Scientists are still researching the potential effect these toxins have on the fish and on the humans who eat them.
“In the past five to six years, the number of marine species that are ingesting or are entangled in plastics has increased from 270 to nearly 700.”
UQ’s Moreton Bay Research Station scientist Kathy Townsend said consumers could help cut marine debris impacts.
“It’s all about making personal choices and being educated about what needs to be done,” she said. “For example, say no to straws when you get your smoothie or drink, bring a reusable coffee cup to the cafe, bring a knife and fork in your bag rather than getting the plastic ones and don’t accept single use water bottles.”
Dr Schuyler said 34 per cent of sea turtles in Moreton Bay had ingested marine debris like food wrappers, packaging, plastic bags, fruit stickers and balloons.
“Four to 12 million tonnes of debris enter the oceans every year and 80 per cent of the debris comes from the land. The majority of this debris is plastic – and it takes hundreds of years to breakdown," she said.
Turtles ate plastic simply because it resembled the food they ate.
It is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
