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Over 1300 turtles killed along Orissa coast

Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar

 

Over 1300 endangered Olive Ridley turtles have been

killed along the Orissa coast by fishing trawlers in

the last few days.

 

This shocking finding was revealed by the Wildlife

Society of Orissa after its latest survey along the

480 km long Orissa coast line.

 

" Thousands more might get killed by trawler nets

during the month of January when they mate, " secretary

of the Wildlife Society of Orissa Mohanty said.

 

According to him, 842 dead turtles were found at

Gahirmatha, 436 at Devi coast and 110 at Chilika

coast.

 

Wildlife experts in the state forest department also

confirmed that hundreds of turtles have been killed

recently, and apprehend that many more could die over

the next few months.

 

The experts pointed that the death figure is likely to

go up due to rampant illegal fishing

 

They said the turtles get entangled in the trawler

nets, which may be up to 5 km long.

 

Turtles cannot stay underwater for more than half an

hour and need to come up for air. The trapped turtles

die of suffocation by the time the nets are drawn, the

experts said.

 

Though protected under Wildlife Protection Act, more

than 18,000 turtles had been killed during the

previous year in the Orissa coast.

 

Over the last 5 years nearly 75,000 sea turtles have

been killed in the Orissa coast.

 

" This has grave implications for the long-term

survival of the turtles as mature breeding adults are

being killed, " Mohanty told rediff.com.

 

Every winter, crossing thousands of miles on the

Pacific and Indian Ocean, the Olive Ridley turtles

reach along the Orissa coast for their mass nesting

 

pls write to indian high commission in your country to

stop this

jayasimha

 

 

 

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