Rare olive ridley sea turtle found dead on Karachi’s Clifton Beach

A rare Olive Ridley sea turtle has been found dead on Clifton Beach in Karachi, raising concerns over marine wildlife conservation.

The turtle belongs to the Olive Ridley species, which is found in large numbers in the Arabian Sea. It is suspected to have died after becoming trapped in the sea or entangled in a fishing net. However, the exact cause of death remains unknown.

According to Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a technical adviser to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Olive Ridley turtles were found in large numbers in Pakistan around 20 years ago. However, they have now largely stopped visiting Pakistani beaches, including Karachi’s coastline, for breeding.

Khan said that two Olive Ridley turtles recently caught in fishermen’s nets near Jiwani were rescued and released back into the sea. He noted that these turtles travel thousands of miles across the ocean.

He cited research conducted in a neighbouring country in which an Olive Ridley turtle was fitted with a GPS tag to track its movements. The study revealed that the turtle crossed the entire Arabian Sea and stayed in Oman for breeding.

Khan stressed the need for similar research in Pakistan to better understand the movement and breeding patterns of Olive Ridley turtles.

Meanwhile, the Fishermen Sajag Forum has expressed sorrow over the death of the sea turtle at Clifton Beach.

Forum leader Muhammad Bakhsh Jat said that protecting marine life while ensuring the livelihoods of fishermen remain sustainable is essential.

The chairman of the Fishermen Sajag Forum also warned that plastic bags and other waste dumped into the sea pose a serious threat to the survival of marine life.