Horrific images show the marine animals with their necks tightly bound and cut with bands and fishing nets and others with fishing lures hanging from their mouths.
In one of the more gruesome images a dead sea lion can be seen pinned by her flippers in a windsock, which led to her drowning.
It is thought that many of the animals become trapped in plastic bands when they are young.
But as they get older and grow, the bands slowly cut into their bodies, which can lead to strangulation.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released the video to highlight the effects of fishing gear and other debris on the animals.
A study of eastern Steller sea lions, which are threatened by extinction, was carried out between 2000 and 2007 along the coast of Alaska and northern British Columbia.
The study revealed that 386 animals had picked up debris.
Plastic packing bands – used to secure boxes – and rubber bands were found to be the most common items which ended up around the necks of the animals.
Metal flasher lures, which are used when fishing for salmon, were the most frequent fishing gear ingested.
Lauri Jemison, a wildlife biologist in the Steller Sea Lion program of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who took part in the study, told LiveScience:
“We are certainly underestimating the number of animals entangled.
“We go out every summer here in southeastern Alaska and we try to visit every haul out (where animals come to shore) and rookery (where they breed) at least once.”
Researchers say they could have missed counting some of the animals which didn’t come to shore or were not visible in a crowd of sea lions.
As well as the Steller sea lions, northern fur seals also become regularly entangled.
Although the researchers found that they don’t swallow as much fishing gear as the Steller sea lion, they do get bands trapped around their necks.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is now looking for funding to work with the fishing industry to help prevent the sea lions and seals from becoming trapped in fishing equipment.
People are also being encouraged to cut loops which are thrown into rubbish bins.
6dy2kepJvOMThe US presidential candidates continued to campaign across key swing states on October 20. Footage…
Elon Musk has said he will give away $1 million a day to a registered…
India and Canada have decided to expel their top envoys along with other diplomats as…
Vice-presidential debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz on October 1st felt like…
Ryan Routh, who was accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf…
NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer at the age of 58. The…