KUALA TERENGGANU: A dead female green turtle, about two years old, was found on the Kijal Beach near Kemaman this morning.
The carcass was found by a turtle egg collector Roslan Muhammad, 54, when he was on the beach to collect turtle eggs at 8.30 am.
“Turtles’ deaths are worrying because this is the third time I found a turtle carcass in two weeks including the first carcass found by my son on Jan 30.
“I have lodged a report on this finding to the Terengganu Fisheries Department,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Roslan, who had been a turtle egg collector for the past 15 years, said that he had buried the carcass near the spot it was found.
He said an inspection of the turtle’s carcass earlier found its head was cracked and it was believed to have been caught in a fisherman’s net.
It is learnt that it is the 19th turtle found dead on the beaches of Terengganu this year.
Meanwhile, Pulau Kapas Conservation Association secretary Mohd Farith Rezza hoped the State Fisheries Department would carry out more special operations to curb trawling activities and the use of gillnets known locally as ‘pukat pari.
“Among the causes of turtles’ death is from drowning after being trapped in a fisherman’s net. This can be avoided if fishermen no longer use the nets which are banned by the Malaysian Fisheries Department.
“Turtles can only last for two hours in the water. When it is trapped in a net, the risk of drowning is very high. But many irresponsible fishermen are still using ‘pukat pari’ to facilitate their work,” he added. - Bernama