Indonesia: Three turtles found dead off Pari island due to litter

Antara 28 Nov 18;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Jakarta Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has confirmed the deaths of three turtles in the waters of Pari Island in the Seribu Islands District apparently due to plastic litter and crude oil spill.

"It is true that three turtles were found dead on Nov 27. Since they had decomposed, they were not moved to land. They were covered in mucus, and plastic litter was found in their mouths and front claws," Chief of Conservation Section of the BKSDA Office in Hajarta Ida Harwati stated on Wednesday.

The exact cause of the turtles` mortality is yet to be ascertained, as no surgery was conducted on them, she noted.

However, she believed they died due to exposure to plastic litter and oil spill.

The agency did not receive any report on the turtle mortality between January and October 2018.

"We were informed of the turtles` deaths only on Tuesday. They likely died yesterday (Monday) because they had been found in a decomposed state," she revealed.

The turtles were found dead some 150 meters off Pari Island.

The BKSDA Office and Forestry Police`s Partner Community in Pari Island let the turtle carcasses float in the sea owing to being decomposed.

Chief of the Environment Office of Seribu Islands District Yusen Hardiman alleged the oil spill and plastic litter off Pari Island, which once went viral on social media, came from other areas.

Yusen stated that the agency had gotten rid of marine litter that reached 40 tons.

Reporting by Tessa Qurrata Aini, Suharto

Editor: Fardah Assegaf