Dead turtle raises environmental questions

With much news from Phuket these days relating to pushes for development, the other side of the coin has shown itself in the form of a dead Olive Ridley turtle that was found last month on the shores of Mai Khao Beach. After the turtle was sent for autopsy, scientists at the Phuket Marine Biological Center found that the species of prey found inside the turtle were not typical for the species.

The squid found in the animal’s esophagus suppose it had eaten just before dying, and the squid, usually too fast for the turtle to catch, suggest that it may have been ingested after being caught in a fisherman’s net.

PMBC representative Sontaya Manawatthana says, “The Olive Ridley turtle is highly endangered in Thailand, where nesting numbers are even lower than the Leatherback turtle. Its only known nesting sites now are at Phrathong Island in Phang Nga.�

As the municipal and federal governments push forward with their big plans for Phuket, and the marine mammal’s environment is further compromised, the turtles are in even more danger of becoming extinct.