KARACHI, Oct 28: Despite there being a threat of their extinction, no department is extending a helping hand to Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) in protecting green and olive turtles, which lay eggs at Karachi beaches, one of only 11 places in the world where the green turtles make their nests.
Sea turtle populations have been seriously reduced worldwide through a number of human influences. Over-developed coastal areas have reduced natural nesting habitats. Capture of adult turtles for eggs, meat, leather and tortoise shell has decreased breeding populations and incidental capture of adults in fishing nets and shrimp trawls has brought one species, Ridley turtles, to the brink of extinction.
One species of Ridley turtles, the olive turtle, is also found off the coasts of Pakistan and there have been reports of their tangling in fishermen’s net here.
In Pakistan, the only nesting sites for these turtles are at Sandspit beaches which have been looked after by the SWD since the Green Turtle Conservation Project was launched in early 1980s.
The department has three fenced plots of about 200 square yards earmarked as turtle hatchery, two in Manora Cantonment and one in the city government’s jurisdiction.
Project in-charge Fehmida Firdous keeps record of the turtles nesting at the beaches and tags them. Eggs are dug up, counted and placed at the same depth in one of their hatcheries, while the young hatching turtles are counted and released into the sea. Male sea turtles never leave the ocean.
According to Mrs Firdous, if undisturbed, the females crawl up the beach, dig cavities and, after resting briefly, lay about 100 (sometimes more) two inch diameter eggs in the holes and cover them.
Sometimes the turtle returns without digging a nest, usually because it was disturbed or it could not find a “good” nest site.
According to experts, turtles eat seaweed and types of jelly fish. Though no research has been done in this regard, apprehensions are that if there are no turtles there might be an uncontrolled growth of the weeds and jelly fish, which might eventually threaten larger marine life, including fish, in shallow waters .
The SWD’s application regarding allotment of plot for a lab and research centre at the beach has been lying with the Local Government Department for a couple of years, although the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (now the city government) has already given approval for it.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International has a programme for sea turtles but its local branch has offered little for the project.
Two female turtles (Chandni-1 and Chandni-2) were installed with transmitters in August to record their movements but the permission to transport them in wooden crates to WWF wetland centre was not taken from the SWD.
The SWD officials had objected to the capture of the turtles and their transfer to the wetland centre, insisting upon installation of the transmitters on the turtles at the beach, as was done in Malaysia.
The SWD reported to the WWF about re-nesting of Chandni-1 and Chandni-2, but despite passage of two months no reports, information and maps, regarding movement of those turtles have been sent to the department.
Hatching is one of the most dangerous periods of a sea turtle’s life. Young turtles must pass through a gauntlet of hungry predators as they crawl across the sand to the ocean. Once young male sea turtles reach the safety of the ocean, they may never set flipper on shore again.
Hatchlings find the sea by heading towards light and the ocean is the brightest source of light at night. Therefore, the SWD has blocked all attempts by hut owners at Sandspit, falling under Manora cantonment to obtain electricity connection.
The sea turtles live in shallow waters 10km to 20km off the coast but the researchers have so far failed to find out their average age.
If properly harnessed, the project can generate substantial revenue from eco-tourism.
However, protected areas and turtle beaches have to be allocated to the project by Manora Cantonment authorities and Sindh local government department.—PPI