Device to save turtles rejected

Visakhapatnam: Though conservation activists and government officials have been trying to promote Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) to protect the endangered sea turtles, the fishing community is opposing the move fearing  repercussions on their livelihood.

The method, which has been developed, they believe, will let off marine catch. A TED is a device that allows sea turtle to escape from the fisherman’s net.

Vizag coast, between RK Beach and Bheemili beaches is a popular nesting place of Olive Ridley turtles who visit every year between November and February. Every year innumerable dead turtles are washed ashore for unknown  reasons.

As a preventive method conservation activists and officials of the fisheries department have come up with a multi-pronged mechanism to prevent such occurrences. Despite being offered financial assistance for purchasing these devices the fisherfolk are reluctant to use it.

President of State Boat Owners Association P.C. Apparao said, “Fishermen are not responsible for these unfortunate deaths. We offer prayers to turtle whenever we find them in the net, as they symbolise Kurmavatara of Lord Vishnu. Industrial pollution and other manmade reasons are responsible for turtle deaths. We suggest the device be redesigned according to our needs.”

Experts say that larger sea turtles, primarily large loggerheads and leather-backs are too large to escape the hatches installed in most devices. These turtles caught in the net, perish.

A U.S. legislation introduced in 2003 has attempted to address this issue by increasing the size of the escape chutes in the devices. But, in India, the effort has to be initiated.
Officials say the nets being used by fishermen in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts cause harm to this endangered species.