Retrieved fishing cord stuns marine experts

Marine life experts, who were left stunned by the images of the fishing line retrieved from the turtle’s gut said that the number of marine species affected by marine litter was only increasing and it is time, that apart from the plastic ban, the State also puts in place a proper policy for collection and safe disposal of marine litter.

Dr Vinay Deshmukh, Former principal scientist at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said that Olive ridley turtles are known to eat sea weeds and sea grasses and it must have mistaken the fishing line for its food. “The turtles when hungry simply grab at anything they spot and most of the time are extremely vulnerable to ingesting litter, which can even cause death,” he said. However, Dr Vinherkar from Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Association said, “ Such cases highlight the need for every rescued turtle undergoing scans and X-rays to check if it has some foreign material in its stomach.”