The cause of extinction and threatening to the life of sea turtles and the female nests are the waste age of plastic and other degradation, collapsed huts, and all the rubble pose according to WWF (world-Wildlife-Fund)
Turtles are amazing creatures that we have in our world. But some of the species of it are now becoming extinct and most of the spp. are in danger. For this purpose to save the turtles, the world celebrates sea turtle day in the middle of June every year.
This year, before the celebration of world sea turtle day on 16th of june, a news circulated in the media that sea turtles in pakistan are now in high danger and can become extinct very soon. Since 2000, not even a single year has passed without celebrating turtle day in the world on 16th of june. The world sea turtle day is not only celebrated for the life of sea turtles but also creating awareness among people who have been living with the huts along the beaches and construction on the beaches badly affecting the life of sea turtles.
On 15th june, 2022, in the beaches of karachi, balochistan, ormara and sindh the sea turtle’s life is affected immensely
It was declared that this year 2022, on the major beaches of pakistan including hawksbay beach, sandspit beach of karachi, and Sindh beach & taq beach in ormara and other balochistan beaches that are under construction of making huts along the beaches had affected the life of sea turtles badly.
Call of M. Moazam Khan [technical advisor of WEF-Pak] upon sea turtles endangering
According to Muhammad the advisor of World wildlife fund of pakistan, all of the pollution either it comes in the form of plastic on the beaches or in the form of construction pf new huts along the beaches or any other type of pollutants that are there on the beaches are the sole reason of extinction of some of the spp. of turtles in Pakistan. He also said that Sea turtles in coastal areas are highly endangered in Pakistan right now.
He added that there are thousands of eggs laying turtles(females) that are now highly affected by the pollution on the beaches. In previous years, there were thousands of females found on the famous beaches of Pakistan including Hawks beach, Sindh beach [Cape Monz], Gwadar beach, Balochistan beach [ Daran]. They used to visit the coastal areas and laid their eggs on the beaches. But from the last two years, the females tend to be in lower numbers found on the beaches in pakistan. And in the year 2022,if you check then you’ll see only a few in numbers that will be found on the respective beaches.
Earlier as in 2012, the study of the world wildlife fund showed that almost 30 thousand sea turtles were caught in the country each year. Also concluded that 25 thousand and 5 hundred Spp. Olive ridley and Spp. of green turtles of almost 4 thousand and five hundred caught up in the coastal area and offshore water of the country. Marine turtles were highly endangered spp. recorded in that year and was an estimate of 3 percent of these were due to the reason of mishandling and other due to drowning.
The major spp. that are in danger
Green turtles are one of the major spp. that are in danger in the asian countries and it is also shown in studies that almost 25 to 30 percent of ground required for the female green turtles to lay eggs (nesting) are lost in the previous ten years.
The laying period of eggs of the female green turtles lies between the month october (started) and then lasted till february. The hatching periods of eggs are almost 2 months (-approximately sixty days).
According to WWF (world wildlife funds), there are five main sea turtles present in pakistan. The most prominent spp. of green turtles that present in Pakistan is chelonia mydas. The most prominent Sea turtle present in the offshore of pakistan beaches is spp. Lepidochelys olivacea ( Olive Ridley). Although in 2001 survey, no spp. founded of this turtle spp. to be laying eggs near offshore since then.
The other spp. are caretta caretta (longer headed turtles) and Dermochelys coriacea (leather back spp.) and other last one is found in Pakistan is Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill spp.)
Even though there is confirmation of misplacing of turtle eggs that have been sold in the aquarium market for so long by the people of Pakistan lately. Not even food is provided to the turtles adequately or commercially as there is no harvesting process for it. WWF also concluded that The illegal misplacing of the turtle’s eggs is prohibited by the government of Pakistan but still people are doing that and trading continues.
Giving protection to the spp. that are going to endangered soon:
- For protection of the spp. of sea turtles, WWF Pakistan organized almost hundreds of members to run an operation for providing gillnets to the offshore areas. This idea resulted in reducing almost 85 percent of the sea turtles’ entanglement.
- To control the pollution in the offshore that are filled up with plastics by the tourists and the construction of huts wastes.
- The population of turtles reduced because of also one reason that is diesel and petroleum leakages, this reason leads to no nesting of the turtles and hence no survivors left.
