There are reports that turtle numbers are dropping, with starvation and abandoned fishing nets causing havoc, as concern for the wider health of the Great Barrier Reef grows.

Key points: Growing number of turtles showing up on the brink of starvation

Growing number of turtles showing up on the brink of starvation Starvation cases due to seabeds that turtles relied on for food not fully recovering after series of cyclones

Starvation cases due to seabeds that turtles relied on for food not fully recovering after series of cyclones Boat strikes and entanglements in abandoned fishing nets also factors

Boat strikes and entanglements in abandoned fishing nets also factors Number of turtles in the wild appear to be decreasing

The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre has been looking for new larger premises to cope with the increasing number of turtles brought to them suffering injuries from fishing nets and boat strikes.

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The centre has been nursing injured turtles back to health for the past 16 years, though these days a growing number are being brought to them on the brink of starvation.

Ms Gilbert, a marine biologist and co-founder and director of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, said the cause of the starvation cases they had been seeing was due to the seabeds on which the turtles relied on for food having not fully recovered after a series of cyclones.

She mentioned in particular the sea-crust beds in Townsville north that had not recovered well.

And all that, combined with boat strikes and entanglements in abandoned fishing nets, meant the turtle rehabilitation centre was constantly under pressure.

"It really is a problem. We've had a couple of turtles that have died, we've opened them up and they're full of fishing line," she said.

"Some fishermen are really responsible and some aren't, and what they do is they get their line and they just throw it overboard, and they don't think of the consequences."

Number of turtles in the wild 'appear to be decreasing'

Ms Gilbert said people needed to take responsibility for themselves.

"It's your decision whether you throw a piece of rubbish in the bin or if you throw it on the ground," she said.

"It's your decision if you throw fishing line into the water or not.

"And I think people… have to take a step back and say, 'Let's dispose of this responsibly and let's do this before we actually lose so many animals that we may get to a stage of extinction'."

While there has been plenty of support in sponsorship from the local community, Ms Gilbert said she was concerned that the number of turtles in the wild appeared to be decreasing, and more turtles were being brought in for help.

"I think the southern population is not doing so bad, but northern population definitely, turtle numbers definitely dropping up here."

Jennie Gilbert with Bella the olive ridley turtle, who was caught entangled in discarded fishing net. ( ABC News: Nance Haxton )

Some of the turtle arrivals 'can be pretty devastating'

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At the centre Ms Gilbert knows each of the turtles by name, including Bella.

"Bella's an olive ridley turtle, she was caught entangled in discarded fishing net," she said.

"So we had to amputate the front flipper because they come with such badly damaged flippers you just can't save them."

Ms Gilbert said they had released one turtle back to the wild recently, which took three and a half years of daily care to recover.

Once Bella had recovered, Ms Gilbert said they would release her back into the ocean.

"They're actually really resilient, she'll go back out into the wild, and they do quite well with three flippers. They're very clever."

Ms Gilbert has a team of hundreds of volunteers who help her care for the injured turtles and feed them squid and prawns.

The food bill alone for the centre comes to more than $85,000 a year.

Tracey McEachern, a chef in Cairns by night and turtle carer by day, said when some of the turtles arrive at the centre they can be "pretty devastating... it's not always pretty."

But she said it was great to see the end result after their rehabilitation.

"Miss Penny in the corner there, she's just a classic example of how rewarding it can be… she's very feisty, she's a fighter and still has some open wounds, she's still got a long way to go."