Sea Turtles stranding on Greek coasts: The most important causes
The growing number of sea turtles found dead or injured on the Greek shores led ARCHELON to establish the National Sea Turtle Rescue Network in 1992 and later, in 1994, the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Center, where there is the possibility of treatment of injured turtles as well as of their reintegration into their natural environment.
Sights of dead sea turtles from many spots of coastal Greece are often published in the media. Apart from cases of deliberate injury by humans that are more obvious and usually isolated, the main question of public concern is whether these deaths are related to natural causes or anthropogenic activities.
The Coast Guard are responsible for recording the events and this is very important in order to avoid double entries. Each and every year the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre of ARCHELON receives all the «Sea Turtle Stranding Sheets” from the Greek Coast Guard Units, along with photos and other relevant information. The cross-referencing and processing of the data by ARCHELON is in progress, but there are no easy answers.
Cases have been found where dead turtles have obvious signs of interaction with fishing gear. But even those that do not bear external signs, it is possible that they have drowned or suffered from other lethal damage due to their accidental entanglement in fishing gear.
"The data on the exact number of turtles caught accidentally on fishing boats in Greece are insufficient and little is known about their immediate and indirect mortality that follows," says Kostas Teneketzis, a coastal management researcher who works with the National Marine Research Centre. ”There are times where a relatively higher number of dead sea turtles are stranded in a location. Even then, it is hard to reach conclusions because it is possible that dead animals have been transported by waves from really far.
Based on the available data at Mediterranean level, the annual number of turtle catches on all fishing gear in Greece has been estimated by Paolo Casale (2011) at around 9,700, with 3,500 of them involving catches in static nets and bottom longlines while the rest 6,200 catches concern trawlers, purse seiners and surface longlines.
"Despite the incomplete data, the small coastal fisheries in Greece, which mainly use the tools that have the highest mortality rates, seems to be responsible for a large number of turtle deaths. The death rate of sea turtles from entanglement in their nets can reach up to 80% of the accidental catch cases", adds Aliki Panagopoulou, sea turtle expert with ARCHELON, who published a relevant survey in 2017.
Also, the effects of plastic sea pollution become more apparent over time, as sea turtles that have consumed plastic may suffer a slow death. It has been proven that the gastrointestinal system of turtles cannot process plastic, as pieces of plastic were found in all turtle necropsies that took place in 2018 at the ARCHELON Rescue Center. Turtles have also been reported dead due to involvement in plastic waste.
There are cases where the natural causes of death cannot be ruled out, but they are not easy to identify. "Unfortunately, it is not possible to perform an autopsy on any of these animals. Also, many of the animals that are stranded are in a state of advanced rot, with the result that scientific conclusions cannot be drawn about the causes of death", adds Dimitris Fytilis, Head of the ARCHELON Rescue Center.
What to do if you come across a dead or alive stranded sea turtle? See more info on our website: https://www.archelon.gr/eng/help2.php?mid=1&mid2=25
Information:
Irini Kasimati, Rescue & Rehabiliation Officer, Tel./Fax: 210 8944 444, 6941 511 511, e-mail: rescue@archelon.gr.
Dimitris Fytilis, Rescue Center Manager, Tel. 210 8982 600, 6944 929 622, e-mail: rc.officer@archelon.gr.
More than 700 sea turtles were found stranded on Greek shores in 2020
We still need you by our side
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS27/09/2023
World Tourism Day 2023: Are there sea turtle-friendly hotels in north Crete?
But why is tourism important to sea turtles?
- OUR NEWS15/09/2023
Lilo, the tiny green turtle, made it back to the sea!
In November 2021 a small green turtle arrived at the ARCHELON Rescue Centre with a very serious head injury. After almost two years of intensive care, one Wednesday in September 2023 he was finally discharged and returned to the sea!
- OUR NEWS17/08/2023
World record of 37 years of reproductive life for a loggerhead sea turtle in Zakynthos, Greece – increased number of nests this summer, says ARCHELON
ARCHELON – the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece announces an important outcome of the systematic work of this year's sea turtle nest monitoring team in Zakynthos. Based on their long-term observations, ARCHELON managed to certify a new World Record of reproductive activity for loggerhead turtles.
- OUR NEWS07/08/2023
ATTENTION! Sea turtles are not pets: Do not touch them or feed them!
The Municipality of Eastern Mani and the Port Authorities requested the assistance of ARCHELON to inform beach users in the area of Limeni, near Mani, where 35 new incidents of sea turtle attacks on sea bathers have been recorded during this summer season. These are added to the already long list of 200 such records of previous years found in the nearby Health Center in Areopolis.
- OUR NEWS01/08/2023
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre Lea shares her experience volunteering at the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre: “I think when a turtle starts to eat after a month of trying, when you can see the improvement or healing of a turtle's injury and when a turtle is released back into the sea, into its natural habitat, into its home - then you know that you are indeed saving turtles”.
- OUR NEWS21/07/2023
Kids Beach Competition 2023: Make your own little sea turtle with natural materials and send us a photo!
Help us spread the message about the protection of sea turtles by making your own baby turtles with natural materials you will find on the beach. Sand, stones, pebbles, shells, seaweed, sticks and whatever else you have available, can be transformed with a little imagination! Take a photo of your work and send it to the ARCHELON Beach Competition.
- OUR NEWS18/07/2023
Paving the way for next steps in conservation of marine turtles in the Mediterranean region
Last week the partner organizations of the project “Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean Region” met for the 9th Steering Committee Meeting. The meeting was organized by SPA/RAC in the area of Kyparissia Bay, Greece on the 4th and 5th of July, 2023 in collaboration with ARCHELON.
- OUR NEWS04/07/2023
An offer to EXPERIENCED volunteers: You can now join the beach projects for 2-3 weeks!
The time is just right to join the projects again, even if you have only 2 or 3 weeks of available time. This offer is valid for August, September, October 2023. Apply through our new website and find out more about the dates and places you can join. More…
- OUR NEWS22/06/2023
The nesting season has begun! Learn what you can do if you find sea turtle tracks or nests on the beach
The nesting season for the loggerhead sea turtles has begun. The nests that are made in the areas monitored by ARCHELON and other collaborating groups are already being recorded. However, if you find tracks or nests on other beaches, you can also participate in the effort to record and protect these sporadic nests. Find out why it's important…
- OUR NEWS16/06/2023
A breath away from registering a new world record on the years of known active reproduction of a loggerhead sea turtle is ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece
This is the year when ARCHELON, a nonprofit environmental NGO, is celebrating 40 years of continuous and targeted action to save sea turtles in Greece and the Mediterranean. At the same time, the project teams of ARCHELON are ready to register the longest period of active reproduction known for the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), in case it happens this year!
- OUR NEWS15/06/2023
A Saturday unlike any other - Turtle Festival 2023
ARCHELON invites kids and adults to celebrate the environment and the sea in an exciting way at the "Sea Turtle Festival" on Saturday, May 27 at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in the 3rd Marina of Glyfada.
- OUR NEWS07/06/2023
Announcement for all past volunteers of ARCHELON: Shall we meet this September?
Highlight: Hi everyone! This year marks 40 years of ARCHELON’s action for protecting sea turtles in Greece. During these four decades, thousands of volunteers from many countries joined our sea turtle projects and the Rescue Centre to help save the turtles. Let’s meet again this coming September and celebrate the animals we saved during all these years.
- OUR NEWS07/04/2023
Waiting list for schools that want to visit the ARCHELON Rescue Centre
Thousands of Greek students visit the Centre and get informed about the value of protecting the environment through contact with a particularly beloved animal, the sea turtle. "All the available visiting hours until the end of the 2022-2023 school year have been booked, but there is a waiting list that is activated in case of cancellations", says Anna Kontoleon, ARCHELON’s Education Officer. More hours for online tours may be added in May if volunteers become available.
- OUR NEWS28/03/2023
People are supporting wildlife conservation
The donations and "adoptions" made at the Rescue Centre in Glyfada, Attica and at ARCHELON’s field projects in Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete in 2022, reached the amount of €350,000. We did a lot last year thanks to all these people, who also made it possible for us to continue this year.
- OUR NEWS24/03/2023
Gail Schofield
We learned with deep sadness the passing away of Gail Schofield, a pronounced sea turtle researcher and former ARCHELON volunteer. Read more…