Nearly 5,000 Sea Turtles Killed By Trawling, Fishing In India - WWF

[hatrack]

Orissa, India - "WWF is alarmed that the famous nesting sites of critically endangered Olive Ridley turtles in Orissa, India, have once again turned into graveyards. Nearly 5,000 turtles are reported to have been killed this nesting season by fishing boats and trawlers, and thousands of eggs have been exposed to predators or washed away due to beach erosion.

Orissa is known the world over as the biggest nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles. The turtles nest here every year during winter at three beaches: Devi, Gahirmatha, and Rusikulya.

However, the death of turtles in this location is also an annual event. For want of enforcement of fishing laws, hundreds of trawlers and boats continue to fish within prohibited zones and a 20-km "no fishing zone" at the Devi river mouth and the Rushikulya river mouth, killing turtles every day.

According to official sources, the turtle mortality this year is 4,900. In 2003, it was 10,086 and in 2002, 12,977. During the past 11 years, over 110,000 Olive Ridley turtles are believed to have been killed on the Orissa coast due to large-scale and alleged illegal mechanised fishing."

EDIT



Well, at least the mortality seems to be down from last year . . .

[redqueen]

1. I hope the drop in mortality doesn't indicate a drop in the total spawned

Jesus help us... as long as money rules, is there any hope?

[Kool Kitty]

2. That's what I thought, too.

Dammit.

[blindpig]

3. decreased mortality reflects decreased population density

ain't that many more left to kill. These populations were virtual unknown to science and industry before the late seventies. On a given night 40,00 females might nest. I'm ashamed to be human.

[hatrack]

4. That's exactly what I'm afraid of

There probably aren't too many accidents in the Everglades from people hitting Florida panthers with their Winnebagos, either.