Chennai
Turtle conservationist Shravan Krishnan of Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), which has been recording turtle deaths in Chennai, said that trawling vessels and using gill nets were the primary cause for these turtle deaths. “So far, 90 turtles have been found dead in the city between January 1 and February 4. In 90% of the cases, the death is due to the trawling vehicles, where these animals get caught and are either drowned or killed. These numbers are alarming because this year, the nesting too has been slow. By this time last year, we had found 20 to 25 nests but this year, we have only found nine. It is compulsory for these trawlers to have Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) attached. However, there is no monitoring of these trawl boats, which are slowly causing a dip in the turtle population. The Fisheries Department should closely monitor these vessels and ensure that TEDs are being used,” said Shravan.
Youssef Labidi of Turtle Talks, who is engaged in creating awareness among the fishing community as a part of ‘Save a Turtle’ project, said that turtles that get caught in the net are more often than not killed. “We work closely with the fishermen and create awareness on using the TED. However, some of the turtles which get caught in these trawl boats are killed, because the fishermen don’t have time to release the mammals. We have seen some turtles, which had been severely struck on the head. The sea turtle needs fresh air every 40 minutes. If it is caught in the net beyond that, it drowns,” he said.
Dr Supraja Dharini of the Tree Foundation, which has been meticulously recording turtle stranding incidents in Kanchipuram, said that discarded nets in the sea could seriously injure turtles. “Most of the turtles that are caught are adults. Among a thousand baby turtles released into the sea, only one survives — so it is very important to ensure these turtles are not injured. There is an indiscriminate use of fishing nets. Many fishermen discard their nets in the open sea, in which the turtles get caught. We have requested the fishermen to dispose their net on the land, responsibly. In the last few incidents, we saw a turtle that was caught in these nets and suffered severe injuries to the flippers, which later turned gangrenous,” she explained, adding that more awareness among the fishing community is the need of the hour. “There is a need for large scale enforcement and awareness by the Fisheries Department,” she said.
Dr David Raj, Forest Range Officer, said that after initial hesitation, more fishermen have started using the TEDs. “We supplied 20 TEDs in 2014-2015 and will supply 62 more in 20152016. Most of the fishermen were initially hesitant to use the TEDs but now, they are open to it. However, there is a requirement for more awareness among the fishermen,” he said.
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