A dead sea turtle of the Olive Ridley species has once again been found at the Baharchhara beach of Teknaf Upazila in Cox’s Bazar. Its weight is about 40 kg, according to local people and fishermen. On Saturday around 5:30 pm, the bloody dead turtle floated on the sand in the Mankhali beach area of Teknaf Upazila’s Baharchhara Union.
Baharchhara Shamlapur High School Principal MA Manjur said the dead turtle that floated was bloody and injured. A few days later, another olive-colored turtle appeared. It has bruises on its body as well as its face, oozes blood and blood-stained water can be seen turning red in the tidal water. It is believed to have been beaten to death by fishermen when it got caught in the nets of a deep-sea fishing trawler or trawling vessel a few hours ago. Later the turtle came ashore with the tide.
Earlier on December 6, a dead Olive Ridley turtle weighing 30 kg was washed up on Baharchhara beach. According to the Department of Fisheries, the scientific name of olive ridley sea turtle is Lepidochelys olivacea.
When asked about this, Teknaf Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mohammad Delwar Hossain said that at the beginning of winter, dead bodies of different species of marine animals are floating on the beach one after another. A few days ago, jellyfish floated on the beach. A few days later, on December 6, another dead turtle washed up on Shamlapur beach. The researchers of the Department of Fisheries and Livestock are researching the matter. District meetings and campaigns are being conducted in the area to make fishermen aware of the protection of marine resources. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Olive Ridley turtle as a ‘Critically Endangered’ species.
Delwar Hossain also said, “We held an awareness meeting last week with the fishermen of the coastal areas. I have explained to the fishermen that if marine animals including turtles are caught in the net, they should release them carefully in the water.