Rare leatherback turtle found dead in Sonmiani

A rare species of marine leatherback turtle was found floating dead on Balochistan sea, which the WWF-Pakistan feared to have been killed by a boat. Muhammad Ilyas, who is a fisherman besides member of the Coastal Association for Research and Development-Balochistan (CARD-Balochistan), reported the floating turtle carcass in Miani's Hor lagoon near Sonmiani, Lasbela district, Balochistan last Thursday.
"The scars on the carapace indicate that the turtle died due to a boat strike," Technical Advisor, WWF-Pakistan, Muhammad Moazzam Khan said on Friday, saying that the species was one of the rarest marine turtles in Pakistan. There is a possibility that the carcass of the turtle had surfaced in the lagoon during the seas high tide from super moon gravitational pull and the fishermen noticed its appearance. "The turtle was measured to be about 1.4 meter long and has peeled skin on its carapace," the WWF-Pakistan said.
Moazzam Khan pointed out that the recent studies revealed the turtle species was falling precipitously throughout its distribution range, including Pakistan. "Since leatherbacks solely feed on jellyfishes, its occurrence in Miani Hor is of great interest because this lagoon is known to have rich jellyfish resources," he added.
Annually about 1,500 metric tonnes of jellyfish are harvested and processed in Damb and Sonmiani, he said, adding that "Jellyfish blooms in the area are of regular occurrence and this is possibly the reason why the turtle was attracted to the area but was unfortunately struck by a boat, killing it".
He said that five species of marine turtles were reported along the country's coastal belt including green, olive, hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback. "Of these, leatherbacks are considered to be rarest species. Globally, they are considered vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List of threatened species," he said. Previously, he said there were six authentic reports of its confirmed occurrence in Pakistan's seawaters. "Two dead leatherback turtles were reported by the Sindh Wildlife Department in the 1980s from the coast of Karachi whereas one dead turtle was reported from Gwadar (West Bay) in 2012," he added.