Experts want to study injuries of sea turtles

Mumbai: Rescuing 11 severely injured schedule 1 species sea turtles has worried experts no end.

According to them, the current situation has led to a need to map and study sea turtles in order to understand why and how these injuries are taking place.

On Saturday, an Olive Ridley turtle was rescued from Malad’s Danapani beach where it was found stranded, with injuries to both flippers. The turtle’s left flipper was grievously injured and even its right flipper was found cut into halves. According to Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, a wildlife veterinarian and turtle expert associated with Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Association (WCAWA), “The maximum number of turtles rescued have severe injuries on their flippers and most of the times, we are unable to release them back into the sea. However, there are no known reasons for these injuries. Plastics dumped in sea water adversely affect turtles and marine animals. It is high time that we study and take a count of these turtles.”

Sea turtles, like tigers and leopards, come under schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

According to experts, a Swachch Bharat Abhiyan with the aim of making beaches plastic free would be of great help to marine animals. “We have been using the sea as a dumping place. Pollution of the sea is an important reason for them to suffer injuries.