Updated 11.30am
A loggerhead turtle was found dead on the sandy beach at Balluta Bay on Tuesday morning after it ingested a fishing hook and line.
The cause of death of the adult female loggerhead, believed to be about 17 years old, was the hook and line, said Vince Attard, from environmental NGO Nature Trust.
This, he said, was one of the main causes of death and injury amongst turtles. They “fall for the bait” and ingest the hook attached to the end of the fishing line. If the fisherman tries to pull the hook out, they can cause damage to the turtle's internal organs causing infection or internal bleeding that leads to death.