Are plastics digestible ?

[Zak-e-Boy]

Can fish digest all the plastics/jellies that are being thrown at them nowadays ? or, are they swimming around with headaches because they are constipated? I would like to hear some views on this topic. I believe some plastics are digestible, not sure about the others.
If it has been discussed before can someone point me in that direction. [size=78%]  [/size]




   

[Cam Mundy]

Scoff one and report back in a day or two bud.

[Torpedo Jack]

Scoff one and report back in a day or two bud.

He, he! You kill me, Cam!

I'd love to see Zak-e try that!

Mike

[Jordz]

When you think about it most of the stuff that we throw into the sea is not degradable, scarey though when you think about it,

[Cam Mundy]

When you think about it most of the stuff that we throw into the sea is not degradable, scarey though when you think about it,

Some countries have banned lead in fishing products especially sinkers but they are mostly the land locked ones with only freshwater resources which makes sense.

[Cam Mundy]

Can fish digest all the plastics/jellies that are being thrown at them nowadays ? or, are they swimming around with headaches because they are constipated? I would like to hear some views on this topic. I believe Gulp plastics are digestible, not sure about the others.
If it has been discussed before can someone point in that direction. [size=78%]  [/size]

[/size]
 

Here's a more serious answer Fish will reject anything that isn't food they may be fooled into trying to eat something or "hitting" it but once they realise it isn't food they will spit it out. Barring that all fish have the ability to regurgitate food when under stress or if they need to clean out there stomachs. So I wouldn't worry to much about all those drop shot tails that have gone missing over the years.

[LGF]

You Guys are @ it early in the year  .
 
Anyhow, we often catch bass with lures (soft plastics) hanging out their .......... well, uhm ...........not their mouths. These lures almost always seems to have taken some beating from stomach fluids as the are not smooth anymore, some rather extensively damaged. I have also noticed that these lures mostly Zoom shows signs of degrading if left in water for some time.
 
Will it be digested in the guts of a fish, my answer would be no, don't think it spends enough time in the fish for that to take place, so yes I believe there are many a fish that had round eyes before that now swims with squinted eyes!!!
 
Cure, rub the lures in Brooklax before casting......... that way it will get out before they have t squint, pinch and swim for the nearest structure

[John F]

Fish do ingest plastics...

http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php?topic=13509.msg215199#msg215199

[Ziggy]

This is what I found in a trout belly once - does not look very digested to me


cant imagine who would want to use one of those to catch trout! I dont think that the fly is related to the plastic

[John F]

That was one very greedy/hungry trout!

[Cam Mundy]

Fish do ingest plastics...

http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php?topic=13509.msg215199#msg215199

The Lancet fish look at that thing it'll eat anvils if it had the chance!

[LGF]

This is what I found in a trout belly once - does not look very digested to me


cant imagine who would want to use one of those to catch trout! I dont think that the fly is related to the plastic

Ziggy, that is exactly what I was trying to say and we do get this kinda thing every so often, but as mentioned sometimes in a slightly more deteriorated state, and mostly hanging from the ..........

[John F]

The Lancet fish look at that thing it'll eat anvils if it had the chance!

  true...

There have been reports of other species (including tuna, dorado, broadbill) eating plastics too (some references below - can send PDFs to those interested).

Davison, P. & R. G. Asch (2011). Plastic ingestion by mesopelagic fishes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 432: 173-180.

Skóra, M. E., M. R. Sapota, K. E. Skóra & A. Pawelec (2012). Diet of the twaite shad Alosa fallax (Lacepede, 1803) (Clupeidae) in the Gulf of Gdansk, the Baltic Sea. Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies, 41: 24-32.

Anastasopoulou, A., C. Mytilineou, C. J. Smith & K. N.Papadopoulou (2013). Plastic debris ingested by deep-water fish of the Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). Deep-Sea Research I, 74: 11-13

Choy, C. A. & J. C. Drazen (2013). Plastic for dinner? Observations of frequent debris ingestion by pelagic predatory fishes from the central North Pacific. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 485: 155-163.

Carson, H. S. (2013). The incidence of plastic ingestion by fishes: From the prey's perspective. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 74: 170-174.

Lusher, A.. L., M. McHugh & R.C. Thompson (2013). Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of pelagic and demersal fish from the English Channel. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 67: 94-99.

 

[Zak-e-Boy]

Scoff one and report back in a day or two bud.

Cam, fortunately for me I don't have any to try. On the lighter side, I would however rather spend 100 bucks on a half loaf mutton bunny with extra chillies and most probably get the same stomach ache. 

[icstuff]

There are so much plastic in the oceans and on the ocean floor that geologist gave the plastic/stone a name which my google fu cant find anymore

[Zak-e-Boy]

Thanks for the informative replies much appreciated. Ziggy,John F and LGF, i think i now have a much better idea of what happens to some of the tails that go missing. Nice trout Ziggi. 

[Lenny]

Some Berkley and Gulp products claim to be biodegradable . don't know how true it is .


Extended exposure to saltwater makes them very soft and makes them swell up .


Looks like a Zoom Fluke in that you got out of the belly of that trout , greedy bugger.

[MIKE PIKE]

On my last trip to Kosi was messing around in the estuary with ultra lite stuff 1/8 jighead with a white curly tail grub on the jighead , watched a evil eyed puffer follow the curly tail all the way up to the edge of the water  , stopped the retrieve to see the reaction , swam up to it chewed off the curly bit at the end of the grub and  spat it out a second or 2 later was obviously not fooled /impressed with the taste ... turned around and swam off... was actually quite funny im sure i saw a look of disgust on the face as he swam off ..