Over 5,000 turtles killed in Orissa since 2007

Economic Times of India 20 Mar 08;

BHUBANESWAR: Despite a ban on fishing along Orissa coast, a large number of rare Olive Ridley Turtles were killed and their carcasses found scattered on the beaches from Chilika lake to Paradip port, official sources said.

While conservation groups claimed that at least 12,000 turtles were killed from November 2007 till date, the state government put the figure at 5,000.

Over two lakh turtles visit Orissa coast every year for annual nesting. They lay eggs at Gahirmatha beach, Devi region and Rusikulya river mouth.

According to international NGO, Greenpeace, over 4,000 carcasses were found in Devi region alone till February.

"This is well above the average mortality figure of 2,470 recorded in the area in the last seven years", Sanjiv Gopal, oceans campaigner of Greenpeace said.

The conservation group apprehends that turtle mortality could be more than the previous years with two months still left for completion of the nesting season of turtles.

While lauding forest department for containing turtle mortality in Rushikulya river mouth, Greenpeace alleged that it had failed in checking movement of trawlers in Devi region.

Gopal alleged that a large number of turtles were killed due to unchecked trawler movement near shore water disrupting turtle congregation leading to their death.

The claims of the conservation group were supported by the Wildlife Society of Orissa which also blamed the state government for the large scale turtle mortality in the state's coast.