Karwar: Karnataka’s coastline is witnessing a disturbing increase in sea turtle deaths, primarily attributed to plastic pollution. In the past month alone, five critically endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (ORST) and one green turtle were found dead at Honnavar and Karwar. This year, Uttara Kannada district has recorded at least 24 turtle deaths.
Recent findings include a green turtle and an ORST at Honnavar, and several decomposed ORST carcasses on Karwar beach last week. Additionally, a hawksbill sea turtle was reported dead in Karwar two months ago.
Forest department officials and marine experts are facing challenges in identifying the precise causes due to high decomposition. However, previous postmortem reports have suggested common causes such as ingestion of plastic waste, injuries from fishing boat propellers, entanglement in nets, and respiratory infections.
Ravishankar, Deputy Conservator of Forests in Karwar, reported that most turtle deaths this year were due to external factors. To combat this, the forest department is organizing workshops for fishermen on proper handling and release of turtles. Ravishankar emphasized that although turtles are not consumed in the region, injured turtles face lower survival chances if returned to the sea.
Data from ReefWatch Marine Conservation reveals that about 90 percent of turtle deaths in Uttara Kannada are linked to human activities and habitat destruction. Dr. Manohar Nagre from ReefWatch identified net entanglements, plastic ingestion, blunt-force trauma, and infections as major contributors to turtle mortality.
The beaches of Karwar and Honnavar are crucial nesting sites for ORST, with females arriving annually between December and May to lay their eggs.
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