In the past 30 days, the carcasses of five critically endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (ORST) and one green turtle have been discovered on the shores of Honnavar and Karwar. This year alone, Uttara Kannada district has reported at least 24 turtle deaths.
Recent findings include a green turtle and an ORST carcass found in Honnavar and decomposed ORST remains in Karwar. Earlier, a hawksbill sea turtle carcass was also found in Karwar. The Forest Department and experts are struggling to determine the exact causes of death due to the advanced decomposition of the carcasses. Previous postmortem reports have indicated causes such as plastic ingestion, injuries from fishing boat propellers, entanglement in fishing nets, and pulmonary infections.
The beaches of Karwar and Honnavar are known nesting sites for ORST, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. However, human activities like bull trawling and deep-sea fishing during the turtles’ breeding season contribute significantly to their deaths. Dr. Manohar Nagre from ReefWatch Marine Conservation reported that human interventions and habitat destruction are major factors, with nearly 90% of turtle deaths attributed to these issues.
Marine Biologist Prakash Mesta noted that turtles are often injured by fishing gear and boat propellers, leading to their inability to surface for breathing, which results in death. Karwar Deputy Conservator of Forest Ravishankar highlighted that almost all turtle deaths this year were due to external factors. Efforts are underway to educate fishermen on proper handling and release of entangled turtles, though injured turtles often face low survival chances if released back into the sea.
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