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A Review of the Welfare Impact on Pinnipeds of Plastic Marine Debris
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This review examines how plastic marine debris harms seals and sea lions through entanglement in lost fishing gear, packaging bands, and monofilament line. Entanglement rates can reach nearly 8% of local populations annually, causing chronic wounds and death, with fur seals and monk seals being most affected.
Uncounted, and usually unobserved, numbers of pinnipeds find themselves entangled in lost fishing gear, monofilament line, nets, rope, plastic packaging in the ocean or on the shoreline. These animals may carry debris wrapped around themselves for long periods, and often die as a result, sometimes from deep chronic wounds. The pinniped species most affected by this modern and manmade phenomenon are fur seals, monk seals, and California sea lions, and to a lesser extent grey, common and monk seals. Entanglement rates described range up to 7.9% of local populations annually, and the common entangling materials; packing bands, fragments of lost net, rope, monofilament line, fishery flashers and lures, long-line fishing gear, hooks and line, and bait hooks are discussed. Awareness of this issue is increasing, and local action is reported to have made measurable differences in entanglement rates, however, plastic material in the ocean is likely to be long lived, and will leave many entangled pinnpeds unreported and result in a hidden and potentially significant effect on wild animal welfare.
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Plastic Debris and Its Impacts on Marine Mammals
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This review examines how plastic debris in the world's oceans affects marine mammals through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical exposure, finding that the durability and widespread distribution of plastics make them a persistent and growing threat to cetaceans, pinnipeds, and other marine mammals.
The impact of debris on marine life.
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A systematic review of 340 publications documented encounters between 693 marine species and debris, with 92% of interactions involving plastic and 17% involving microplastics. The review established marine debris — especially plastic — as a major, widespread threat to marine biodiversity through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat degradation.
Marine debris ingestion by the South American Fur Seal from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean
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Marine debris was found in 7% of South American fur seals examined from beaches in Argentina and Brazil, with plastic being the most common type. While the ingestion rate was relatively low, the findings confirm that this marine mammal species is exposed to plastic pollution throughout its range.
Marine litter: One of the major threats for marine mammals
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This paper reviews the threats that marine litter — especially plastic — poses to marine mammals through ingestion and entanglement, synthesizing evidence across species globally. It documents the breadth of species affected and calls for international policy action to reduce marine plastic inputs to protect cetaceans and other marine mammals.
Microplastic Exposure for Pinnipeds (Pinnipedia): A Rapid Review
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This review summarizes research on microplastic exposure in pinnipeds, including seals, sea lions, and walruses, drawing from 26 published studies. Researchers found that microplastics have been detected in pinniped scat, gastrointestinal tracts, and blubber, with the particles coming from both direct environmental intake and transfer through the food chain. The findings raise concerns about the long-term health effects of microplastic accumulation in these marine mammals, many of which are already under threat from other human-caused pressures.
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