2,000 Olive Ridleys dead due to fishing nets, claims conservationist

Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Oct 26 (UNI) About 2,000 Olive Ridley turtles were found dead in fishing nets used by mechanised boats in this mass nesting season, Turtle Protection Wing Convenor Anantha Raju claimed today.

Speaking to UNI here, Mr Raju said every year the nesting season was affected by factors such as increasing illumination and human movement.

Marine turtles were among the most endangered species protected under Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna and Convention on Migratory Species.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Regulation also classified sea turtles as protected species.

Of late, sea turtles had attracted the attention of the world community in the light of the decision taken by the United States to ban the import of shrimp from countries that do not make Turtle Excluder Device (TED) mandatory in nets used by the fishing vessels.

TED is a device that allows the turtle to escape from the net without causing much loss of shrimp or other fish catch.

This is important for India since shrimp was a major foreign exchange earner contributing over 70 per cent of its marine products export earning.

Sea turtles caught in large numbers in the fishing nets during the nesting season die on a mass scale. The problem was very acute along Orissa and West Bengal coasts.

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