Sicilians are not easily hooked! first assessment of the impact of recreational fishing on the endemic sicilian pond turtle emys trinacris (Testudines, emydidae)

Abstract

The possible impact of recreational fishing on the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris was investigated in two permanent water bodies in western Sicily (Italy). Overall, 120 specimens were temporarily captured and X-rayed in order to determine the possible presence of fishhooks in their mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract. At the studied sites, none of the Xrayed turtles showed any evidence of ingested fishhooks or other fishing gears, thus suggesting limited impact of recreational fishing. However, the occasional but not negligible findings of E. trinacris specimens injured by fishhooks or entangled in abandoned fishing lines prove the actual existence of such impact, raising some concerns about the long-term conservation of this endemic pond turtle. The need of monitoring the possible impacts of angling where pond turtles are present is briefly stressed.