Dead 40 kg mother turtle washed up Kuakata beach, raising concern

Dead mother turtle at Kuakata Beach alarms environmentalists

Patuakhali: A dead Olive Ridley mother turtle weighing about 40 kg has washed up on Kuakata beach again. The death of marine animals one after another has created new concerns about the coastal environment and biodiversity. The turtle washed up with the high tide water in the area adjacent to the Jhauban Sunrise Point in Kawarchar at around 6 am on Wednesday (April 15).

A. Jalil, a member of the Coastal Environment Protection Movement, was the first to see the turtle and immediately informed the members of the Dolphin Protection Committee. When the news spread quickly, there was a anxiety among the locals and a crowd gathered at the scene.

According to informed sources, such incidents are a bad sign for marine biodiversity. Pollution, use of illegal nets and the effects of climate change may be behind such deaths.

Abul Hossain Raju, joint convener of the Coastal Environment Protection Movement, said, "The repeated deaths of marine animals like this are very worrying. Effective and coordinated steps need to be taken now to protect the coastal environment."

Md. Moniruzzaman, range officer of the Mahipur Forest Department, said that the incident is being viewed seriously. Necessary investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the turtle's death. Surveillance will be further strengthened to prevent such incidents in the future.

Later, members of the Dolphin Protection Committee, the Forest Department, and local voluntary organizations jointly buried the dead turtle. - Gofran Palash