A male hawksbill turtle carcass was found washed ashore at Pengkalan Balak beach in Masjid Tanah, Melaka, believed to have died after becoming entangled in a fishing net.
MELAKA: The carcass of a hawksbill turtle was found washed ashore along Pengkalan Balak beach in Masjid Tanah by members of the public at about 3.30 pm yesterday.
Melaka Fisheries director Saufi Affandi Talib said the male turtle, identified as Eretmochelys imbricata, was estimated to be between 10 and 15 years old based on its carapace measurements of 80 centimetres in length and 72 centimetres in width.
“Inspection found it did not have an identification tag and is believed to have died after becoming entangled in a fishing net. Part of the carapace was also detached,” he said in a statement today.
Following the discovery, immediate action was taken to manage the remains.
“The burial process was completed at about 3.45 pm at the discovery site on the same day to prevent pollution and maintain beach cleanliness,” he said.
Saufi said the hawksbill turtle is a protected marine species classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to increasing extinction threats, particularly from the illegal trade of its shell for decorative items.
He urged the public not to engage in the capture or trade of the species, which is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.