Fishermen are being motivated to use Turtle Excluder Device to prevent the death of sea turtles that get caught in fishing nets. Wildlife Wardens and District Forest Officers of coastal districts have prepared an action plan on conservation of turtles.
This was submitted by the Forest Department in an affidavit before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh in connection with a suo motu public interest litigation petition on turtle conservation.
In the affidavit, V.K. Melkani, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, submitted that fishing was regulated by the Fisheries Department. The Forest Department had not taken any specific and authentic study on turtle mortality.
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It had been observed from sources/students that trawlers and various destructive fishing practices were the major reasons for turtle mortality in the country’s coast.
No case had been booked against fishermen in the past 10 years. It was a very sensitive matter. Fishing was the only source of livelihood for the fishermen, he said.