Prevalence and Transience of Ingested Fishing Hooks in Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles

Abstract In the northern Gulf of Mexico, Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) are incidentally captured by recreational anglers. While sea turtle bycatch is of conservation concern, most studies focus on commercial fisheries, and the number and proportion of turtles affected by recreational fisheries interactions is not known. This study aimed to quantify the proportion of turtles in the Mississippi Sound with evidence of previous interactions with anglers. We analyzed radiographs of hook-and-line captured sea turtles in rehabilitation for number of hooks present, location of hooks, and number of associated hook interactions. The presence of ingested hooks in a number of the rehabilitated L. kempii also allowed us to report on hook transience through observations in rehabilitation, including how transit time related to turtle size, hook size, and position within the gastrointestinal tract. From 2012 to 2015, 882 L. kempii were radiographed. Hooks from prior interactions were found in 12.5% of o...