Haren
More than 500 dead Olive Ridley sea turtles have been discovered along Chennai’s coastline in the past 15 days, spanning from Marina Beach to Kovalam and Pulicat. Most of the deaths are suspected to be caused by drowning, raising alarm among conservationists about the detrimental impact of fishing practices on these endangered creatures.
In response to the crisis, a high-level review meeting, likely to be chaired by Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, has been scheduled for January 20, as per a report on The Hindu. The meeting aims to address the growing concerns over sea turtle mortality and explore solutions to mitigate the issue.
The forest department has initiated investigations by collecting fresh carcasses from Marina and Injambakkam for postmortem and toxicity analyses. Full carcasses have been sent to the Madras Veterinary College, while samples were forwarded to the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation in Vandalur, said a report on The New Indian Express. On-the-spot necropsies were also conducted at multiple locations.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the majority of turtles drowned, as their lungs were found filled with water. Among the victims were primarily Olive Ridleys, a species already endangered, and a juvenile green turtle, one of the largest endangered sea turtle species, discovered near the Sadras fishing village. The green turtle’s carcass was also subjected to necropsy before being buried.
Sea turtle conservationist Supraja Dharini told Times Of India attributing the deaths to unchecked gillnet fishing by commercial boats and the use of squid nets, which often trap turtles and lead to their drowning. Conservationists have long criticised these fishing methods for their lack of selectivity and their devastating impact on marine life.
Against this background, the review meeting on January 20 is expected to address these concerns and outline actionable steps to safeguard sea turtles along the Chennai coastline.
