KARACHI: A large number of freshwater turtles, found abandoned in the Seaview area and rescued by residents two days ago, were handed over to the wildlife authorities on Monday.
The 42 black spotted turtles and an Indian flapshell turtle are now housed in the turtle laboratory of the Sindh wildlife department at Hawkesbay.
Eight species of freshwater turtles are found in Pakistan, of which five are globally threatened.
“We were informed today about a large number of abandoned freshwater turtles that Seaview residents had rescued on Saturday. Fifteen turtles were found dead,” said Asif Sandeelo, representing the WWF-P, adding that the organisation later handed over the turtles to the wildlife department.
The black spotted turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii), he said, were classified as vulnerable while the Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) as the least concern, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature red list.
He said wildlife traffickers had discarded the turtles in jute bags at Seaview beach, which were later picked up by different people, some of whom released them into the sea.
According to him, some turtles were spotted and rescued by singer and former WWF-Pakistan Earth Hour ambassador Zoe Viccaji and Rachel Viccaji, also a singer, while they were travelling in the area.
“A number of turtles were found struggling for life, while some had already died. Thirteen turtles were rescued by a Clifton Cantonment Board lifeguard while 18 black spotted turtles were rescued by Aftab Ahmed, another resident, who also gave them to the WWF-P,” he said.
Head of the wildlife department’s marine turtle conservation unit and the focal point for the Indian Ocean South East Asian Marine Turtle MoU under the Convention of Migratory Species Adnan Hamid Khan said that most turtles weighed between two and four kilograms while some were breeding pairs.
“They have laid four eggs. The turtles will be quarantined for 30 days before their release into a suitable habitat,’ he said, adding that the matter would be investigated.
According to a WWF-P statement, the international trade of freshwater turtles was a lucrative business and was beginning to cause pressure on the freshwater turtle population across the country, putting the long-term survival of several species in danger.
“Though wildlife traffickers often take advantage of the lax enforcement of law, organisations and departments have begun to work collaboratively and conservation efforts are slowly bearing fruit,” it says.
The provincial and federal governments have taken effective steps in revising their legislation and developing and approving policies in this regard while implementation remains a challenge, the statement adds.
According to WWF-P officials, a lot of momentum has been generated since the confiscation of the 218 black spotted turtles in 2014, which helped raise awareness and build capacity of customs officials.
“Since then loopholes in legislation have been dealt with, and ports are being monitored to check trafficking of wildlife species. The WWF-P believes that the reason behind abandoning these turtles is the diligent and strict enforcement measures taken by local authorities, particularly the Sindh wildlife department,” says WWF-P coordinator Saeed ul Islam.
The organisation, he said, had recently launched a USAID funded project titled Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade by Establishing National Monitoring Network.
“This will help raise awareness of the issue, demonstrating best practices and building the capacity of officials,” he said.
Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2015