Olive Ridley Turtles Dying Due To Negligence
By Matt J. Weiss, February 3, 2008 @ 02:00 AM (EST)
Source: Hindu.com
A wildlife activist has alleged that a large number of endangered olive ridley turtles have died on the beaches bordering the Gahiramatha marine sanctuary due to government's failure to curb marine fishing.
"Government agencies have failed miserably to curb marine fishing and trawling operation within the 20-km long prohibited no-fishing zone," alleged Biswajit Mohanty of Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO).
Turtles are meeting a gory end either getting entangled in mono-filament fishing nets or being hit by trawls' propellers, he alleged.
"We are receiving reports of turtles dying in large numbers, both in Gahiramatha and Devi river mouth region. It is a very serious situation before beginning of 'aaribada' (mass nesting) of turtles. We are deeply shocked and stunned," he said.
However, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) of Orissa, B P Patnaik rejected the allegations. "Some olive ridley turtles have died only in the mouth of river Devi in Puri district," Patnaik said.
Mohanty claimed that during his visit to the area on Wednesday last, he found the beach, stretching from Balipadia to Jatadhari in close vicinity of Paradip littered with carcasses of bloated bodies of turtles.
"Government agencies have failed miserably to curb marine fishing and trawling operation within the 20-km long prohibited no-fishing zone," alleged Biswajit Mohanty of Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO).
Turtles are meeting a gory end either getting entangled in mono-filament fishing nets or being hit by trawls' propellers, he alleged.
"We are receiving reports of turtles dying in large numbers, both in Gahiramatha and Devi river mouth region. It is a very serious situation before beginning of 'aaribada' (mass nesting) of turtles. We are deeply shocked and stunned," he said.
However, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) of Orissa, B P Patnaik rejected the allegations. "Some olive ridley turtles have died only in the mouth of river Devi in Puri district," Patnaik said.
Mohanty claimed that during his visit to the area on Wednesday last, he found the beach, stretching from Balipadia to Jatadhari in close vicinity of Paradip littered with carcasses of bloated bodies of turtles.
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