The turtle recovered yesterday, like many before it, had a flipper amputated, most likely by a discarded fishing net. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong
PHUKET: Officers at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) recovered a juvenile Olive Ridley sea turtle suffering from lacerations, and its front left flipper amputated entirely, from Mai Khao Beach yesterday.
“We received a report from The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation that the turtle had washed ashore in front of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa – Marriott at Mai Khao Beach,” Dr Patcharaporn Gaewmong, a veterinarian for the Endangered Species Unit (ESU) at PMBC, told the Gazette
“We retrieved the turtle and brought it back to our center for treatment. Staff here cleaned its wounds and started it on an antibiotic regime. We will continue to monitoring its health,” she said.
An examination by ESU staff, revealed that the turtle had cuts to its front left flipper, which Dr Patcharaporn thinks was probably as a result the young turtle fighting to free itself from discarded fishing net.
“Some 30 turtles have been found washed ashore since June. Most of those had cuts to their flippers from fishing nets,” she said.
“We are trying our best to save them.” she added.
Those interested in making a difference by cleaning the reefs of Phuket and the surrounding islands of rubbish and discarded fishing nets are encouraged to join Go Eco Phuket, the Phuket Gazette and hundreds of individuals in what is expected to be the world’s biggest coral reef cleanup this Sunday.
Kritsada Mueanhawong
Carnage to Phuket’s marine life continues
Phuket Gazette 28 Sep 12;
PHUKET: In just one day, half a dozen Olive Ridley sea turtles were rescued in Phuket, all suffering lacerations caused by fishing nets, and a young dolphin was stranded on Mai Khao Beach.
Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, head of the Endangered Species Unit (ESU) at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), revealed yesterday that ESU officers received a report from lifeguards at Karon Beach that three adult turtles had washed ashore.
Later, the center received another report telling them that three more turtles had washed ashore in separate locations along the coastline from Mai Khao to Phang Nga.
Of the three rescued at Karon Beach, Dr Kongkiat said, “They were all female Olive Ridley sea turtles, their shells measuring about 50-60 centimeters long.
“We brought them back to the center for examination and treatment as they were all suffering from cuts to their flippers.”
In addition to damaged flippers, examinations revealed that their shells were in poor condition, exhibiting bacterial or fungal growth. From that, ESU staff assessed that the three turtles were caught in fishing nets for about a month.
Dr Kongkiat’s team also responded to the three turtles reported washed ashore in the north of Phuket.
“We received a report from villagers that one sea turtle washed up on Tah Chat Chai Beach in Mai Khao. A second and third turtle were reported ashore in Phang Nga province. All three were females and had also been ensnared by finishing nets for about a month,” Dr Kongkiat said.
“They are all undergoing treatment at the center,” he added.
According to Dr Kongkiat, over the past five decades the number of Olive Ridley turtles laying eggs along the western beaches of Phuket and Phang Nga had dropped from somewhere between 500 to 1,000 to only about 10 to 30.
PMBC Officers believe that having turtles washing ashore in numbers is a good sign that many more turtles are out at sea trying to get to the beaches in order to lay their eggs.
“I hope a lot more Olive Ridley sea turtles can avoid the fishing nets and other dangers and make it to the beaches safely to lay their eggs,” he added.
Notwithstanding the six turtles they had to deal with yesterday, ESU staff also recovered a young female dolphin that had beached in Mai Khao.
Identified as a Spinner dolphin, Dr Kongkiat estimated that the marine animal is around one year old, a meter in length and weighing about 20 kilograms.
“The dolphin is still able to swim unaided but her balance is not very good. We believe she has an internal infection,” he said.
Two weeks earlier, two dead dolphins washed up on Mai Khao Beach, said Dr Kongkiat.
“Spinner dolphins in the Andaman Sea usually live in schools of about 20 to 100. Sometimes they are found living with other species of dolphins,” Dr Kongkiat explained.
Asked about the cause of dolphin strandings, Dr Kongkiat replied that the monsoon season, which brought with it rough seas and strong waves, was most likely the cause.
– Kritsada Mueanhawong
Three more injured turtles wash up on Phuket's beaches
Phuket Gazette 29 Sep 12;
PHUKET: Another three young Olive Ridley sea turtles were discovered washed up on Phuket beaches yesterday. All were missing limbs, presumed to have been severed by discarded fishing nets.
Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the Endangered Species Unit at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), told the Phuket Gazette that the turtles were discovered by local residents and lifeguards at Kata Beach and Yanui Beach, in the south of Phuket, and at Surin Beach further north.
“The three turtles had flippers cut off by fishing nets. We have provided some initial treatment for their injuries. One of them is a female, but the rest two are too young to identify their gender,” said Dr Kongkiat.
“The three turtles bring the total number of injured ones that have washed ashore local beaches since July to 40. All are now in our care to 40. All of them are Olive Ridley turtles. Most of them are disabled,” Dr Kongkiat added.
– Kritsada Mueanhawong