MARGAO
Traditional fishermen and visitors to the Benaulim beach were shell-shocked to find a carcass of sea turtles being washed ashore on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the carcass of a dolphin was found washed ashore on the Varca beach, only throwing up questions amongst the fishing community and visitors on the causes behind the death of the turtles and the dolphin.
A group of children stumbled upon a sea turtle at the Benaulim beach on Monday evening, only to realize later that this was the second sea turtle that had been washed ashore on the beach in a single day. Even as the children were trying to fathom the reasons behind the death of the sea turtles, Benaulim-based fisherman Pele Fernandes said the death of the sea turtles on the Benaulim beach and the dolphin at the Varca beach has come just days after the waves deposited oily substance on the Salcete coast.
“After we took a close look at the carcass of the sea turtles and the dolphin, it appeared that they might have succumbed to the pollution caused by the oily substance. The carcass of the dolphin was in a decomposed state, indicating that it might have died 3-4 days back”, Pele said.
He added: “I am only suspecting that the oily substance might be behind the death of the sea turtles and the dolphin. I am saying this since we cannot suspect that the sea turtles might have succumbed to injuries after being hit by water sports boats and fishing vessels since fishing activity has come to a haltin the last couple of days because of bad weather”.
The local fishermen later disposed of the carcass of the sea turtles and the dolphin by burying them deep in the sand.
