Northern sea lions choke on plastic garbage
Sakhalin ecology activists are hunting Steller sea lions to save them. These animals are in danger because of the huge amount of plastic garbage present in the Pacific ocean. They get tangled in ropes and fishing nets, which causes them to slowly choke to death. Local activists try to hunt the animals with tranquilizer air rifles in an effort to release them from their plastic garrotes. These actions could save hundreds of animals, but the problems don’t end there.
“Medicine used to tranquilize the Steller sea lions is considered narcotics. For ordinary people, these meds are virtually impossible to obtain,' says Dmitry Lisitsyn, head of ‘Ecology watch of Sakhalin’. He, like many activists from the Far East, is trying his best to save Steller sea lions from extinction. What other obstacles does he have to overcome?