Scores Of Dead Turtles Washed Up With The Tide

http://www.coastweek.com/3104-02.htm

SHOCKING WASTE OF MARINE LIFE ENDS IN SUCCESSFUL ARREST OF TANZANIAN FISHERMEN

Since January 1st 2008 from Diani on the South coast to Watamu on the North our beaches have been littered with scores of dead turtles washed up with the tide; turtles of all sizes and ages, breeding females, small juveniles and huge males, reports Turtle Watch.

Reports from local Turtle Watch organisations, conservation groups and concerned beach residents showed that deaths were reaching epidemic proportions.

So what was causing this senseless destruction of marine life ?

At first, as is so often the case, it was thought that the deaths were unrelated and the confirmed cases were simply either due to natural causes or maybe even the turtles eating plastic bags, mistaking them for jelly fish.
 
However, the massive toll of 34 confirmed deaths on the North coast alone within five days alerted everyone to the fact that these were not normal statistics.

So what was happening ?

As the KWS began to investigate it became apparent that suffocation and drowning was the culprit.

It was then discovered that this wanton waste could be laid fairly and squarely at the door of some fishermen from Tanzania who were employed by a businessman, known to the authorities, from Takaungu, to fish just outside the reef.

Whether they had been given fishing licences by the Fisheries Department has yet to be determined.

Even if they have it is not enough to just issue licences, it is surely the responsibility of that department to investigate and ascertain the fishermen are following the correct guide-lines.
 
While there is no suggestion that the Tanzanian fishermen deliberately set out to catch the turtles their deaths are a by-product of using nets without TED's (Turtle Exclusion Devices) which while not mandatory by law, except for commercial fishermen, would save large numbers of turtles drowning.

Not checking the nets frequently enough and not disentangling the drowning turtles from the nets when they were pulled in also contributed to the high number of deaths.

They are 'guilty', at best, of ignorance, callousness and blatant disregard of the laws which protect these wonderful creatures and, at worst, destruction of a fragile eco-system which is under constant threat.

And ignorance of the law is no defence, which the captured fishermen immediately employed.
 
Turtles are a severely endangered species and are protected by law.

It is this flagrant disregard of precious life that is so sickening - with the local fishermen sighting bodies being washed over the reef onto uninhabited beaches, the true number of turtle deaths may never be known but it is estimated that as many as 60-70 may have perished in the past three weeks.

According to KESCOM, The Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee, if you consider that for every 1,000 turtle hatchlings that make it to the sea after struggling from the nest, only one reaches adulthood and then it takes 40 years to reach breeding maturity the loss of approximately 60-70 turtles drowned in the fishermen's nets since January 1st, 2008,t is a monumental blow to the successful continuation of the species.
To replace the loss, 60,000 hatchlings need to be released and then 40 years have to pass to see them return and lay their eggs.
 
How many of us will still be alive to see this happening ?

However, on a positive note, what has immerged is something that is extremely encouraging - for the first time the authorities in the form of the KWS, the conservation groups, KESCOM and concerned beach residents have come together in a combined effort and have managed to stop the activities of this group.

This resulted in the successful arrest of the perpetrators. So how did the drama unfold ?

Turtle Watch wardens up and down the Coast started reporting a high incidence of turtle deaths from January 1st. onwards.

This escalated into large-scale extermination over the past 10 days.

Last week the KWS were called in to investigate but decided not to act until there was more evidence which was gathered towards the end of last week by doing an autopsy on some turtles that had died on the South Coast.

Without a doubt these dead turtles had drowned.

When David Kahindi, the Assistant Chief of Vipingo, called in KESCOM they con-firmed the fact and a plan was laid.

Alerted to the presence of continued fishing activity off the Kuruwitu and Bureni reef the combined forces of members of the Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association, KESCOM and KWS used the Kuruwitu Conservation boat to investigate early on Sunday 20th January 2008.

They approached the fishing boat and investigated what appeared to be two large shapes in the water under the boat, held in the nets.

Although the fishermen at first denied that they had anything illegal trapped, it soon became apparent that they had in fact two fully grown, Green female breeding turtles, one of whom was still alive and crying out in complete distress.

Sadly, it was too late to save her and she died of drowning.

A horrible death; her heroic struggle for life borne out by cuts and abrasions that lacerated her head and flippers.

The KWS then apprehended the fishermen and took them to the shore. After loading the evidence into the back of a pick-up the arresting party, which by now had swelled to include members of the Badilikani Conservation Group and the Bureni Turtle Watch, took the culprits and the conservation groups back to Kijipwe Police Station where the former were charged.

WhilE, what the fishermen did was appalling, in their defence they were only doing what was asked of them and it is very much hoped that suitable action will be taken against the business man from Takaungu who allegedly employed them.

Unless the law is applied in its severest measures nothing is in place to deter such people from deliberately benefiting from illegal practices, which in the long-term, will lead to the demise of an entire species.

It is not too late to change the fishing practices of the traditional fishermen, and indeed, there has been a quantum shift in their attitude to conserving and rebuilding fish stocks but if this incident is not punished, with the maximum penalties permissible by law, then it makes a complete mockery of all the efforts that right-minded people are putting into practice up and down the Coast.

Special praise must go the local Turtle Watch wardens of Bureni Beach, Kuruwitu, Bofa Beach, Kilifi, Watamu Turtle Watch and other local groups who work tirelessly to patrol and protect their beaches.

To Safaricom who sponsored the Turtle Watch T shirts that fund the efforts of Turtle Watch on the North Coast; KESCOM also deserve a mention for galvanising the KWS into action as does David Kahindi, Assistant Chief of Vipingo.

In future it is very much hoped that the KWS Marine Division will set up a 'Hot Line' for anyone concerned about suspected illegal maritime activities to use.
 
Once alerted, it is also hoped that action will be taken more quickly to avoid such a tragic incident that has just taken place during January ... not a good start for conservation in 2008.