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Conservation of turtles stressed

By Our Correspondent
May 24, 2018

LAHORE: On the occasion of World Turtle Day, May 23, WWF-Pakistan has stressed the need for the conservation of marine and freshwater turtles of Pakistan which are facing several challenges, including habitat degradation, entanglement in fishing gears, climate change, poaching and illegal trade.

In Pakistan, five species of marine turtles are found, and green trutle, one of the species, is most commonly found and nests along Pakistani coast. World Turtle Day had been celebrated globally since 2000 to draw attention towards enhancing knowledge and conservation efforts for turtles and tortoises around the world. Since then international community celebrates the day with the aim to create awareness about the curious reptiles which have survived for more than 100 million years but most species are now facing the increasing threat of extinction.

Major threat being faced by marine turtles in Pakistan is fishing operations (high bycatch), pollution, habitat degradation and climate change which may wipe out precious marine life, including majestic turtle species from Pakistan. Green turtles nest on the sandy shore along Pakistan cost. Along Sindh Coast, Sandspit, Hawks Bay and Paradise Point are important nesting ground, whereas, along Balochistan coast, important nesting beaches are Sonmiani, Taq (Ormara), Astola Island and Daran (Jiwani) where every year thousands of turtles come to lay their eggs.

Olive Ridley turtle was another species which used to nest on Pakistani beaches but no confirmed report of their nesting has been reported for the last 14 years. WWF-Pakistan studies, however, revealed that interestingly this is most common species found in the offshore areas of Pakistan. In order to resolve the mystery, WWF-Pakistan has planned to install satellite tags on these turtles in October 2018 to determine their migration and nesting ground. Other three species i.e. loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback turtles are of rare occurrence along Pakistani coast, however, WWF-Pakistan has now undeniable evidences of their occurrence and distribution along the coast.

In addition, eight species of freshwater turtles are found in the Indus River system. Besides, two species of tortoises also exist in Pakistan. Their illegal trade to meet demands for their meat, their body parts and products and pet trade from the East Asian countries stays the key challenge to their survival besides habitat degradation and fishing-induced mortalities. The recent commendable joint effort of Sindh Wildlife and WWF-Pakistan Department to halt poaching of freshwater turtles in the Indus River and capturing poachers is also reminder of the fact that illegal capturing, killing and trafficking of these reptiles is a persistent threat to their survival and it can only be halted through effective enforcement of laws, alleviation of main driver such as poverty, besides creating awaness at all levels.

A group of poachers was involved in the poaching of soft-shelled turtle’s meat and body parts. This trend is alarming as studies have already indicated a declining trend in the populations of freshwater turtles in Pakistan.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser, WWF-Pakistan, said turtle enmeshment was an important issue because of ever-increasing gill net fleet and ghost fishing gears. The provincial and federal fisheries departments are working closely which fishermen to ensure compliance with the TED Regulations, he said.

Dr Babar Khan, wildlife director, stressed the need for creating awareness among general public, particularly the youth,about the important species of tortoises as well as freshwater and marine turtles found in the fresh and marine waters of the country which are facing serious threat of extinction due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. He also stressed the need for effective monitoring of the border posts to ensure that illegal trade of these species could be controlled. According to Babar, WWF-Pakistan also works in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Climate Change, provincial wildlife departments, Pakistan Customs and other law enforcement and border security agencies for controlling illegal trade of turtles and their parts.

Babar Khan added that a continuous increase in the illegal pet trade of turtles had been observed in Pakistan, especially in the bigger cities. Hundreds of turtles are being sold in the local markets as pets despite their legal protected status. Provincial wildlife protection departments should develop a mechanism to ensure continuous monitoring of markets where they are sold, while educating public on the matter. Public can play a role in monitoring and reporting such incidences of illegal trade of turtles to address the issue.