Turtle Species in Pakistan – Threats and Control Measures

Turtle Species in Pakistan Face Extinction Threat

Turtle Found dead on Golden Beach – Hingol National Park Balochistan

There is a need to take steps for the conservation of marine and freshwater turtles in Pakistan, which have been suffering because of habitat degradation, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade.

Five species of marine turtles are found in Pakistan, of which green turtles are the most abundant specie that nests along Pakistan’s coast. Other than marine turtles, as many as eight species of freshwater turtles and two species of land tortoises are found in the country.

The world has been celebrating World Turtle Day on May 23 since 2000. American Tortoise Rescue – a United States (US) based non-governmental organization, initiated the day to create awareness about turtles and tortoises. The day is marked across the globe to call for human action to help these reptiles survive and thrive in their natural habitats.

Also Read: Humans Are Just 0.01% of Life on Earth but No. 1 in Destruction.

There is evidence of turtles’ existence on the planet more than 100 million years ago. However, many species of the animal are now facing the threat of extinction.

The major threats faced by marine turtles in Pakistan include mortality during fishing operations, pollution, habitat degradation and climate change.

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani (Deputy Conservator of Hingol National Park) observing a dead turtle on Golden Beach

The green turtles nest on sandy shores along the Sindh and Balochistan coast. In Sindh, important nesting grounds for the turtles are Sandspit, Hawke’s Bay, and Paradise Point, whereas, along with the Balochistan coast, Sonmiani, Taq in Ormara, Astola Island and Daran in Jiwani are the locations where every year thousands of marine turtles come to lay their eggs.

No confirmed report of the nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, another species which nested on Pakistani beaches some time ago, has been reported for the last 14 years. According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) -Pakistan, the species is the most common species found in offshore areas of Pakistan.

See Also: The Most Comprehensive Video on Hingol National Park with English Subtitles

The WWF-Pakistan has planned to install satellite tags on these turtles in October 2018 that will help determine their migration and nesting grounds. The other three marine turtle species – loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback turtles – have been found along Pakistan’s coast rarely, However, the WWF-Pakistan has some evidence of their occurrence and distribution along the coast.

Along with marine turtles, their freshwater cousins are also confronting serious threats, which include Illegal poaching, habitat degradation, water shortage, fragmentation of rivers and canals and fishing operations.

Export of freshwater turtle meat, which is banned, is considered as the main threat to these vulnerable species and it must be ensured that the ban on their meat export is implemented.

Through the efforts of Provincial Wildlife Departments, WWF-Pakistan, Pakistan Customs and other stakeholders, many consignments containing living freshwater turtles and land tortoise, and their meat have been confiscated. These agencies are keeping a vigil to control the illegal trade of the turtle species.

Pakistan agreed to comply with the US requirement of having turtle excluder devices in 1999. However, because of non-implementation, the US authorities have imposed a ban on the export of shrimp from Pakistan since May 2017.