Two Olive Ridley turtles which were rescued after they got entangled in a discarded net reportedly died due to injuries they had suffered. According to a fisherman who rescued them, the turtles looked exhausted and both had their hind flippers missing which could have been due to their struggle to free themselves from the net. It may be recalled that recently local fishermen at the Benaulim beach found an injured Olive Ridley turtle which was entangled and trapped in an abandoned fishing net. They immediately worked on freeing the turtle from this discarded piece of net. The turtle which had suffered some injuries on the side of her body and leg due to the contact with the fishing line was handed over to the Forest Department for necessary medical treatment. Incidents of turtles getting entangled in discarded nets have been taking place at a disturbing frequency. It is pertinent to note that the guards deputed on the beaches have their duty restricted to only ensuring nesting of the turtles, shifting the eggs and monitoring the hatcheries. Fishermen need to be educated not to discard old nets in the sea but to dispose-off in a proper manner on the land. It is not possible to pin-point as to which fisherman has discarded his old net into the sea. All the ghost nets found along the shoreline need to be removed as they can be pulled back into the seas by the waves.
