BELONE BELONE (LINNAEUS, 1760) AND SPICARA SMARIS (LINNAEUS, 1758) ENTANGLED IN PLASTIC COLLARS IN THE DARDANELLES STRAIT, TURKEY

One of the main causes of injury and mortality in marine life is entanglement in plastic litter. Marine plastic waste can affect marine organisms in several ways: causing serious injury or death (resulting from entanglement in or ingestion of plastic items), enabling chemical and microbial transfer (by acting as a vector for the transport of biota), and producing changes in species communities. In this study, two adult individuals from the Spicara smaris and Belone belone species caught in pelagic longlines at the Dardanelles Strait were found with plastic collars around their operculum and trunk, respectively. The plastic waste items were identified as security rings of plastic bottle caps. Both species displayed several degrees of injury. After removing the gastrointestinal tract of B. belone, a plastic filament was also found. This study shows that the impact of plastic debris on marine life is worsening.