Ocean Sentry
(From gulfnews.com) New Delhi- Coastal development, industrialisation and harmful fishing are whittling the numbers of this endangered species in India”s eastern state of Orissa, says a recent United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report. Already a whopping 120,000 Olive Ridleys have succumbed to illegal fishing and coastal development in Orissa over the past decade, ensnared by trawlers and gill-netters that skim the waters during the nesting season.
According to ecologists, commercial trawling has killed the most number of Olive Ridleys in India. The turtles are caught in the trawler’s nets bound behind boats. When they are unable to surface, the turtles asphyxiate.
Other threats to this species include poaching of eggs, construction activity on beaches and pollution. Mega ports being built by conglomerates such as Tata Steel, Posco and other companies as well as oil exploration offshore are posing a serious hazard to the turtles.
(By Neeta Lal, Correspondent)
