February 25, 2016 - EARTH
- The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic
animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and
the appearance of rare creatures.
Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles found along Odisha's Puri coast in India
Ahead of the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles,at least 40 turtles of the endangered species were found dead along the beach of Odisha's Pilgrim Town Puri.
Carcasses of the endangered turtles were spotted along the coast near Digabareni Khunti (Weather Pole) here yesterday.
Tourists and local people gathered at the site to witness the rare
species of turtles which were lying bloated and decomposed. The forest
officials buried the carcasses of the turtles to prevent it from being
prayed on by predators like wild dogs, hyenas and jackals and minimise
stench emanating from it.
Multiple injuries were found on the bodies of the turtles which points
towards possibility of them being hit by fishing trawlers in the sea.
"We suspect that the turtles were killed after being hit by the fan
blades of the fishing trawlers in the sea," a forest official said.
The dead turtles found along the coast in the holy town
have raised concerns among the environmentalists and wildlife
researchersas many whales were found dead on various beaches along the Odisha coast.
Notably, Olive Ridley turtles throng the Odisha coast for breeding and
nesting during January-February. During this period, fishing activities
are banned in 20 km distance from the beach to ensure the safety of the
breeding turtles.
Earlier on February 17, over 150 dead turtles and a bottlenose dolphin was foundnear Mangala Nadi and Shri Vihar area in the city.
Besides, over 1000 dead turtles were spotted along the coast near Paradip under Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district. - Odisha Sun Times.
Juvenile green sea turtles are washing up on local beaches — dead or in distress — at an alarming rate this year, experts say.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has picked up more than 129 dead and 93 living sea turtles since Feb. 3, more than the total number of dead specimens collected during all of 2015.
"We've already done a year's worth of work," said Adrienne Cardwell, the
aquarium's manager of sea turtles and aquatic biology programs.
Crews have been responding to calls about the stranded young turtles and
patrolling Pinellas County's northern beaches for the past two weeks,
searching for the aquatic reptiles as water temperatures dropped —
leaving many turtles with already compromised immune systems in trouble.
Because sea turtles need external heat to regulate their body
temperature, cold water can cause decreased heart rate and circulation,
lethargy, shock and even death.
WATCH: Update on Operation Cold Stun.
Many of the green sea turtles
also contracted a virus in the wild called fibropapillomas, which can
cause them to grow cauliflower-shaped tumors on their soft tissue and
eyes.
Strong winds have pushed the weak, endangered sea turtles — some of which are unable to feed themselves — toward shore.
"These animals were already having issues, so the cold weather sealed the deal with them," Cardwell said.
Experts don't know how the virus, similar to the herpes virus in humans,
is transmitted, and there is little conclusive research on the subject,
Cardwell said.
The virus is becoming increasingly problematic among the local sea turtle population.
The cold weather mostly has affected turtles off Pinellas and Pasco
county shores, where temperature drops have been more severe than in
southern parts of Florida.
On Wednesday, Clearwater Marine Aquarium teams retrieved one
dead and eight live sea turtles. Earlier this month, researchers picked
up 22 dead and 13 live turtles in a single day.
The distressed animals are brought to the aquarium on Island Estates,
along Clearwater's Memorial Causeway, where they are evaluated and
treated with fluids and medicine.
Many of them don't make it through the first night, Cardwell said.
Some of the turtles recently recovered by Clearwater crews have been
taken nearly 400 miles to a veterinary hospital in Marathon, in the
Florida Keys, for rehabilitation and eventual release.
Cardwell said the aquarium is running out of resources to care for the
distressed turtles and is seeking donations to help buy medical items
such as gauze, rubbing alcohol and Rubbermaid bins to hold the turtles
during their care.
Because of the influx, the aquarium has exhausted its sea turtle budget for this year.
Joe Widlansky, a sea turtle biologist with the nonprofit Sea Turtle
Trackers, which monitors nesting on St. Pete Beach and Shell Key, said
he has been dealing with similar problems along the coast in southern
Pinellas County.
The juvenile green sea turtles he has found have weighed between four
and 20 pounds. Last week he turned over two live turtles to the
aquarium, but he also has found dead ones.
He recalled a significant statewide cold-stun in 2010 but expected the
overall die-off to be lower this year because southern Florida largely
has been unaffected.
"It's pretty bad. Hopefully it'll be over really soon with this nice
weather warming up the water," Widlansky said. "We just hope every year
by March it's over."
The green sea turtle primarily nests along Florida's east coast but can
be found feeding on sea grass in shallow waters along the Gulf Coast.
Boaters and beach-goers should be on the lookout for stranded sea
turtles or turtles floating on the surface of the water, Cardwell said.
If they dive beneath the surface they likely are fine. - Orlando Sentinel.
Hundreds of South Auckland birds killed by botulism-like disease
Hundreds of birds in a South Auckland wetland have been killed in a botulism outbreak.
The Department of Conservation and Fish and Game are working with the
Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre to contain the outbreak.
The wetland is home to tens of thousands of rare native and non-native
waterfowl and shore birds and it's estimated around 200 have died so
far.
Fish and Game said it's an unfortunate thing to happen, especially in a significant wetland like Miranda.
"There is a botulism outbreak, which is a very serious bird disease. It
is caused and spread by poor oxygen levels in the water - the birds
ingest it and it's all over." said Don Rood, Fish and Game spokesman.
"It's not a nice way to go, it paralyses them then they die."
Rood said there's little that can be done, aside from burying the
bodies, so the bacteria can't spread and re-enter the environment to
infect healthy birds.
"What we're worried about is the deterioration of the general
environment, when things like this happen there is a tendancy to down
play it but anything that is killing birds in such a way is a concern."
Rood said.
Department of Conservation Wildlife Vet Kate McInnes said this is a case of avian botulism and poses no risk to humans.
"It's triggered by environmental conditions which prompt a bacteria,
found naturally in soil, to produce a toxin that cause birds to die."
McInnes said that botulism outbreaks usually clear naturally when rain
and cooler temperatures change the conditions that triggered the
outbreak.
The Miranda Shorebird Centre manager Keith Woodley said the outbreak of
disease is concerning and has been killing waterfowl and shore birds
over last two weeks.
"There is always concern when it's affecting our wildlife, but it's
important to remember that outbreaks of this nature are not uncommon in
this country, especially when conditions are warm and dry.
He added that the disease has so far only affected a small portion of the tens of thousands of birds in the wetland area.
Dead birds found at Pukorokoro Miranda have been sent to Massey University for testing to try and establish the cause of death. - Auckland Now.
January 1, 2016 - INDIA - Thousands of carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore from Ranasthalam to Ichapuram in Srikakulam district.Fishermen said they have seen innumerable carcasses in seashore villages of Gunupalli, Akkupalli, Dokulapadu, Manchineellapeta and Devunaltada in Vajrapu Kothuru mandal in the district in the last two days.
Srikakulam district fisheries joint director MA Yukub Basha said the
turtles had died after they were accidentally trapped by trawlers. "This
is the breeding season and the turtles come to the shore to lay eggs.
Many of them get trapped in the nets of mechanised boats," he said.
Fishermen said that the dead turtles weighed up to 50 kg each. The
length of the carapace is between 60 cm and 70 cm. Palasa, Baruva and
Vajrapu Kotturu in Srikakulam district and RK Beach, Bheemili and
Sagarnagar in Visakhapatnam district are the nesting spots of the
turtles in north coastal Andhra. One can find about 1,000 nesting spots
between January and March in the region.
Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA)
founder secretary Pradeep Nath said the animals died due to mechanised
boats used by fishermen.
"We will set up an artificial hatchery with the help of AP forest
department at RK Beach, and Jodugullapalem beach in Visakhapatnam. We
hope to facilitate nearly 35,000 hatchlings," Pradeep Nath said. - Times of India.
February 22, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Animal rescue workers in southern Ontario are struggling to keep up with an influx of injured grebes, a species of waterbird that's fast running out of splashdown spots as the Great Lakes freeze over.
Grebes are smaller cousins to the loon, and spend their entire lives in the air or on the water. But
with more than 80 per cent of the Great Lakes covered in ice, grebes
are having a tough time finding open water to land in during Ontario's
deep freeze. That's forced some grebes to touch down on solid ground,
where they lack the ability to walk or take flight again.
"If the grebes land on land, they're dead," said Gail Lenters, who
operates the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, located north of Toronto,
near Lake Simcoe.
"They can't move, they can't get around, they can't fly. They're the term 'sitting ducks.'"
WATCH: Cold weather freezing birds to death.
Lenters says grebes migrate south from the Arctic to spend their
winters on the Great Lakes, where water at the centre of the lakes
typically does not freeze. But that open water did freeze this year, and
grebes are having a tougher time finding somewhere safe to come down.
She adds that grebes will fall out of the air or come to ground out of
exhaustion because they are not used to flying such long distances in
search of water.
That's what's happening to grebes on the
shores of Lake Ontario, where rescue organizations like the Toronto
Wildlife Centre find themselves taking in several injured birds on a
daily basis. The TWC declared itself in the midst of a "grebe-mageddon"
earlier this week.
Ice on the Great Lakes has also become a problem in Windsor, Ont., where
animal rescuers and fire crews worked to free 20 geese, ducks and swans
trapped in the ice on Lake Erie earlier this week. Several other birds
were found dead on the ice.
Lenters
says the Great Lakes don't typically freeze this much, though there was
a similar deep freeze last year. She expects the ice cover will remain
until March.
In the meantime, anyone who finds a trapped or injured bird is asked to call the nearest animal rescue centre for help. - CTV.
800 dead Olive Ridley turtles found on Odisha coast, India
The Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha's Kendrapara district, considered
to be the largest rookery of the endangered Oliver Ridley turtles, has
turned into a mass graveyard of these endangered species as hundreds of
carcasses were spotted ashore.Around 800 Olive Ridley turtles were found deadalong
Barunei, Pentha, Satabhaya, Gahirmatha, Babubali river mouth and other
places during the ongoing mass nesting season by February 15, a forest
department official said.
However, unofficial estimates put the toll over 5000, raising concern among environmentalists.
As informed by Rajnagar Mangrove (Forest) and Wildlife Division DFO
Bimal Prasanna Acharya, that there have been reports of several Olive
Ridley turtles lying dead along the beaches.
During this time,
the south wind blows fiercely as a result tens of thousands of female
Olive Ridley's climb ashore to lay eggs. Due to this strong wind, dead
turtles were seen along the beaches from Habalikhati to Chinchiri, a
Satabhaya villager said.
Meanwhile, green activists have
alleged that the endangered species are dying in large numbers due to
illegal trawling at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary as the forest officials
have failed to check the fishermen from catching fish inside the
prohibited zone.
As of now, as many as 25 trawlers have been
seized and at least 189 fishermen have been arrested for illegal
trawling and venturing into prohibited regions during the ongoing mass
nesting season of the turtles, a forest department official said.
Notwithstanding the forest department prohibiting fishing within 20 km
radius of the sea coast, over hundreds of trawlers have been seen
fishing in the restricted zone near Satabhaya.
Notably, the
endangered Olive Ridley turtles, protected under Schedule 1 of wildlife
Protection Act, 1972, die after being trapped and entangled in the nets
of mechanized fishing during the mating season.
It may be
recalled that Olive Ridley turtles were also found dead along the Devi
river mouth at Astaranga to Kushabhadra river mouth at Ramchandi in Puri
district owing to illegal trawling recently.
The mass nesting
of Olive Ridley turtles were first witnessed along the 10 KM coastline
of Gahirmatha beach for the first time in 1975. As the mating season
along the coast continued thereafter, it was accorded the status of
Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in 1997 as the first marine sanctuary of the
state.
Following granting of marine sanctuary status, it was
declared a no-fishing zone in 1993 under the Odisha Marine Fishing
Regulation Act-1981. The Act prohibits fishing within 20 km radius of
the sea coast. Besides, seven laws have been framed and strictures have
been passed by Supreme Court of India for protection of these endangered
species. - Odisha Sun Times.
Mystery surrounds the death of 20 mute swans in Chester-le-Street, UK
At
least 20 swans have died mysteriously of illness or poison on the river
Wear in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, in the last month.
The RSPCA has asked the public to be vigilant after swans died on a stretch of river in the past few weeks.
It is unclear whether the birds that live on the River Wear in
Chester-le-Street, County Durham, have been being deliberately or
accidentally poisoned, or if they have succumbed to natural illness.
There are about 100 swans on that section of the Wear which passes
through Riverside Park, and it is popular for children to feed the
inquisitive swans.
A sign which was put up some time before the
recent spate of deaths asked the public not to feed the birds mouldy
bread as it is poisonous to swans.
But it was not clear whether that was the cause, and tests will be carried out.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Michelle Charlton said: "Just over 20 swans have
been found dead, or so sick that they've had to be put to sleep, on the
river in Chester le Street over the past few weeks.
"Calls started coming in about them in January and RSPCA officers have picked several up over the past few days.
"Tests are being conducted on the birds but at the moment we have no
idea what the cause is, whether it's the result of a deliberate act or a
naturally occurring illness.
"Obviously we are very concerned
about this and are working with The Swan Trust, vet practices Cestria
Vets and Robson & Prescott Vets in Morpeth, Defra, the environment
agency and the police to try to find out what the cause is.
"We'd like to appeal to the public to be vigilant, and if you come
across anything that you think might be being dumped into the water to
contact us." - Daily Mirror.
Snowy Owl seen in Hungary for the first time since 1891
A snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) has been photographed in Hungary's southern Baranya county for the second time since records began,
the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society has said.
The only previous occasion the cold-loving animal has been spotted in
Hungary was in 1891.
The owl was photographed at the settlement of Bóly in Baranya county,
after which bird-watchers from the ornithological society travelled to
the scene to verify the sighting. Subsequently, several observers
arrived to the area and a large number of good-quality photographs were
taken.
Sightings
of the snowy owl in Central Europe are extremely rare. The animal,
native to the subpolar tundras of Canada, Alaska and Eurasia, ventures
to the south because of the grim weather of its Northern habitat and the
consequential lack of food.Further information on the bird spotted at Bóly is needed to verify its origin.
The only previous recorded sighting of the snowy owl took place in November 1891 near Újszász, southeast of Budapest. - Hungary Today.
Wrong place, wrong time: Rare hooded oriole seen in Charlotte, North Carolina
A
big part of finding birds is being in the right place at the right
time. When the birds show up, you have to be there. Last Friday, local
birder John Brammer looked out his window and saw a large yellow bird
that he did not recognize. He had the presence of mind to snap off a
series of great photos for the next 15 minutes. Then the bird departed.
Local birders pored over online photos of immature male orioles (there
are not all that many, by the way), and identified it as a hooded
oriole, a bird native to the Southwest and Pacific coast.
Though the bird was not seen at all the next day, eight birders
gathered at the residence for more than five hours on Sunday in hopes of
catching even a glimpse of the far-ranging visitor. I set up a folding
chair with a clear view of the feeders and for nearly four hours I
watched more than 40 species fly by - a brown creeper, hermit thrush,
pine siskins, downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, yellow-bellied
sapsucker, Eastern bluebirds, red-shouldered hawks, pine warbler,
yellow-rumped warblers, an American woodcock and more. But not one of
them was a hooded oriole.
So the bird did not keep the
appointment. He probably did not know he was supposed to hang around. He
was eager to continue his whirlwind tour of the Eastern United States, I
suppose. Or maybe he is still in the area.
The hooded oriole is a first for the state record.
I went up to Ulster County, NY
to see the Gyrfalcon that has around for a few weeks. The bird, which
depending on the day has been easy to find or hard to find, was very
cooperative today.
WATCH: Rare Arctic gyrfalcon located in Ulster County, NY.
In addition to the Gyrfalcon, I was able to photograph a Short-eared Owl. Definitely worth driving for four hours! - Urban Hawks.
Couple attacked by their pit bull in Costa Mesa, California
A Costa Mesa couple was attacked by their own pit bull Friday evening, authorities said.
The couple was driving their pit bull through a shopping center in
Costa Mesa on their way to Huntington Beach when the dog turned on them.
Authorities said the couple both sustained serious injuries. Witnesses said both were bitten repeatedly in the arms.
The attack occurred just before 7 p.m. in the 1100 block of Victoria Street.
The husband was driving, his wife was a passenger. They said the dog attacked inexplicably.
KCAL9's Stacey Butler said the attack occurred in the couple's SUV.
Firefighters tried to restrain the pit bull after the attack.
During the attack, the wife was able to call 911 while the husband pulled into a parking lot. The husband jumped out of the vehicle and the dog followed, continuing to attack the man.
Police said when the woman tried to coax the dog back into the car, the dog turned on her as well.
"All the police cars, a fire truck with its lights on. An ambulance. I
was here when Animal Control came," said witness Yasmine Mason, "and
they took the dog away."
The dog, reports Butler, was taken to an Orange County animal shelter. - CBS.
Thousands of dead fish found floating in the Ganges, India
Thousands
of dead fish were found floating in Ganga at Dhabka Nullah and
Dasheshwar Ghat in Jajmau on Friday. Experts attributed the death of
fish to oxygen crisis in river water. However, neither any official from
district administration nor from pollution control board visited the
spot to take stock of the situation.
In absence of police,
locals had a free run carrying away dead fish in baskets. Kids were
found carrying away large fish, a few weighing over several kilograms.
A few locals informed the police but no official turned up at the site.
Jajmau is the hub of leather tanneries. Recently, power supply to 98
tanneries of the area was snapped and forcibly shut down on the orders
of National Green Tribunal (NGT) for flouting norms and polluting Ganga.
The death of fish has once again brought the issue of Ganga's pollution
to the forefront.
This is not the first instance of fish dying
in Ganga. On several occasions in the past fish have been found dead in
the river. In fact, a large number of fish had died in Sher Shah Suri
pond in Jajmau too.
Locals who reached the site claimed that a
number of small to large sized tanneries located in the area discharge
affluents into the river leading to the death of fish. Others claimed
that several big and small nullahs release in the river thus reducing
the oxygen in water. This forces the fish to die.
A few other rued that they had informed the police about the incident but nobody turned up. - Times of India.
Thousands of dead crabs wash ashore on Balboa Island, California, United States
Tiny red crabs washed up in Balboa Island in Newport Beach on Saturday,
Feb. 21, 2015, some dead, some alive. Aaron Roth, 3, shows off his catch.
LAYLAN CONNELLY
Daniel Stringer had an idea after eying the little lobster-like crustaceans that washed ashore on Balboa Island.
“I’ll get the barbeque,” said Stringer, who has lived on Balboa Island for 47 years and has never seen the small crabs like the ones that showed up Saturday. “I like mine with butter.”
Thousands of mini crabs - which actually look like tiny lobsters or craw fish - created a rim of red along the shoreline, scattered on the sand along the sleepy seaside of Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Most washed up dead at high tide, but some were still alive and swimming near the shoreline.
Passerby stopped to marvel at the unusual sight, some people coming to the aid of the ones that still looked like they had some life to them.
The Pleuroncodes planipes, also known as pelagic red crabs or tuna crabs, showed up during the last king tide event - when tides are especially high - at the end of January.
But then, as quick as they showed up, they disappeared - until Saturday morning, when they came in by the thousands. Another king tide event, which only happens a few times each year, showed up again this week, though its unclear whether the two incidents are related.
Experts say the crabs - which are about 1-to 3-inches long - haven’t been seen in the area for decades, and said it’s the warm water that has been lingering near 60-degrees that brought them here. They normally life in Baja California, according to Register archives.
Balboa Island resident Brian Cummings and son Chandler, 9, spent the morning picking them up, one by one, and tossing them back to the sea.
“We try to throw back as many lives ones as we can ... We try and look for the bright red ones to throw them back in the water,” Brian Cummings said, picking one up and tossing it into the water, where it simply floated upside down.
When asked if he wanted to eat them up, Chandler looked skeptical.
“They probably don’t have any meat on them,” he said.
Visitor James Gutierrez, of Pomona, was fascinated by the sight.
“You don’t realize how much sea life is out there until you see something like this,” he said.Aaron Roth, 3, had just one word to describe the sight: “Cooool.”
Resident Michael Brennan knew all about the crabs, doing as much research as possible after the last ones washed ashore about a month ago.
“They swim backwards,” he said to a group gathering near the shore.
The pelagic crabs are the latest in a year of odd sightings along the coast caused by unusual warm water experts say are signs of El Nino. A variety of whales like orcas, sperm and humpback have shown up in high numbers, along with odd sightings like hammerhead sharks and whale sharks in the area.
Other sightings like a glow-in-the-dark organisms called pyrosomes washed ashore in September, and before that a blue, jellyfish-like creatures known as “By-the-wind sailors,” invaded the coastline.A wahoo - normally found in Mexico - was reeled in by fisherman in August, and anglers are still catching yellowtail of the coast, which are usually scarce during this time of year. - OC Register.
3,000 birds have died due to another outbreak of avian flu in Katsina State, Nigeria
A man selling live chickens waits for customers in
a local food market in Nigeria’s commercial
Avian Influenza, a.k.a. bird flu , has hit some poultry farms in Katsina leading to the death of over 3,000 birds.
Alhaji Musa Danhassan, the Vice Chairman, Katsina State Poultry Farmers Association, confirmed the outbreak of the disease to Naija247news in a phone chat from Katsina on Friday.
Naija247news also reports that the outbreak of the bird flu occurred at Abukur village in Rimi local government area of the state.
Danhassan said that the farm of one of their members, Alhaji Garba Dalhatu was affected by the outbreak and the last the man lost over 3,000 birds.
He said that specimen from the affected birds have been taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, where it was confirmed.
The Vice Chairman disclosed that their association had reported the outbreak to both the state and federal ministries of agriculture about the outbreak of the disease.
NAN investigation revealed that officials from the Department of Veterinary Services of the state Ministry of Agriculture had visited the affected farms where they carried out total elimination of the affected birds.
The investigation further revealed that another backyard farm at Tudun-yanlifidda, belonging to one Hajiya Zainab Muhammad, has also been affected by the bird flu.
The woman poultry farmer lost over 300 birds on Friday morning.When contacted, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Garba Sanda, confirmed the outbreak. - Naiija247.
Thousands of dead fish found in the Uraguay River in Argentina
"It was after 3000, all between 750 grams and a kilo and a half," he assured some "were still gasping and others had already died," said one of the fishermen.
"It's the first time we found many dead shad, there are days that is one or two, but we never had this happen to find thousands of dead fish on the beach," he added.
Felipe Galli said the death was between "former railroad laundry cages and about five hundred feet below the street May 25" attributing it to "any chemical which certainly threw rail" and encouraged the thesis Brazilians who had previously responsible rail "polluting products used to wash cars."
"The worst he added Galli- there is now a quarter of the fish had yesterday, I estimate that about 2000 were removed by families living near here and took them to eat, but were told that if they died for something would be and that were possibly contaminated, but nobody wanted to ignore until a truck loaded with fish and were happy but this said, "can have health consequences for those who ingest".
Hundreds of dead fish were found on the coast and began to decompose on heating and flies that invaded the place. Most corresponds to the kind of shad of different sizes that were affected.
Locals called it a "environmental disaster" and expect that bodies such as the CARU provide explanations of what is happening with the shad that make up the fish fauna and longer food for the families of fishermen.
However a theory, it arose from strong odors that occurred yesterday near the waterfront, a few weeks ago means the city of Salto complained that the refrigerator The Caballada, currently owned by foreign capital shed effluent into the river, from its plant in the southern coastal sister city without proper treatment.
Are all theories; but the truth and reality is that residents are very concerned about this situation and the health of our river and those who through him are fed. - La Voz. [Translated]
February 05, 2014 - ASIA - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal, bird and fish die-offs across Asia:
Thousands Of Fish Found Dead In A River In Banyumas, Indonesia.
Photo: Antara News
The fish of various kinds along the river from the mouth of the River Serayu Klawing (Serayu Creeks) to Weir Motion Serayu, Banyumas, Central Java, on Sunday, was found dead on Sunday.
These conditions lead to dozens of local residents Serayu River flows down to the river to catch fish that have died and are still dying.
One of the villagers Tambaknegara, District Rawalo, Banyumas, Ranto (45) claimed capable of collecting various types of fish that float in Motion weir Serayu up as much as five pounds.
"The fish that I got in between throwing, Tawes, and baceman," he said.
Related to this, Section Head of Control and Usability Center business for Water Resources (BPSDA) Serayu-Citandu Arif Sugiarto said it directly to check Serayu along the river to the weir Slinga in Klawing, Purbalingga.
"We have not been able to ascertain the cause of death of thousands of fish in the river and Klawing Serayu. But clearly, the fish died after a flash flood in the river upstream Klawing," said Arief.
He suspected the fish died due to the flash floods brought silt in upstream river that empties into the river Klawing Serayu. - Antara News. [Translated]
1,112 Turtles Wash Ashore During January On Beaches In Andhra Pradesh, India.
At least 1,122 carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles were washed ashore on the beaches of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in January alone.
More than 145 dead turtles were found on the stretch between Marina Beach and Neelankarai, while 226 were found between Neelankarai and Marakkanam. In Andhra Pradesh, Nellore recorded 547 carcasses. Marine conservationists say there has been a sharp increase in the number of dead turtles found along the beaches of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The main problem, according to marine experts, is fishing nets. The turtles normally come to nest on beaches on the east coast from January to March. "The female turtles dig nests and lay around 60 to 120 eggs at a time. The same turtles may nest two or three times and stay close to the shore during this time. As they stay close to the shore, many easily get entangled in the fishing nets," said Supraja Dharini, chairperson of TREE Foundation, a non-governmental organization that works for the protection of endangered marine species. The foundation conducted the study of the beaches.
Dharini said not a single day passed in January without phone calls from volunteers about carcasses on beaches. "The main reason for this tragedy is that the turtles get caught in the trawl fishing nets of mechanised boats, gill nets or ray fishing nets. Turtles need to come to the surface of the sea to breathe. Once they are trapped in the net, they remain underwater and drown," said Dharini.
Marine expert P Dhandapani said the injuries on the carcasses had to be investigated. "In many cases, turtles die after getting entangled in fishing nets. Since the rate of mortality is so high in this case, the injuries on the carcasses need to be investigated properly before reaching a conclusion," said Dhandapani, retired marine scientist, Zoological Survey of India.
Scientists estimate that only one in 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. Creating awareness, according to Dhandapani, is not enough. "Everyone knows that many turtles die after getting trapped in fishing nets. But how do we stop this? The government must implement the suggestions made by marine scientists such as banning some types of fishing nets to prevent such deaths," he said. - Times of India.
Hundreds Of Fish Found Dead In Bashan Park River, Singapore.
Cleaners clearing shoals of dead fish found along the river at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Photo: David EE
Cleaners clearing shoals of dead fish found along the river at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Photo: David EE
Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in the river at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park by residents on Tuesday, causing a stench in the area that lingered till Wednesday afternoon.
About 400 fish were caught in clumps along the banks or on rocks by the three-kilometre long river, especially on the stretch close to Bishan Road. Many were decomposing under the hot sun.
National water agency PUB said that it was notified about the dead fish on Tuesday morning, and immediately sent contractors to clean up the river. The clean-up was completed by 3pm on Wednesday, the spokesman added.
WATCH: Dead fish found in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio river.
PUB explained that lower levels of dissolved oxygen in the water caused by recent hot and dry weather could have killed the fish. It said that only two species of fish - tilapia and mayan cichlids - were found dead. - Straits Times.
Over 2.4 MILLION Chickens And Ducks Killed Due To Outbreak Of Avian Flu In South Korea.
Two new suspected bird flu cases were reported in South Korea Saturday, stoking concerns that the highly pathogenic poultry disease may be spreading in the country, the agriculture ministry said.
According to the ministry, the additional suspected cases were reported at a chicken farm in the southern port city of Busan, and a duck farm in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
A virulent H5N8 strain of avian influenza has so far been confirmed in 27 cases in South Korea since it was first detected on Jan. 16 in Gochang, 300 kilometers south of Seoul.
More than 2.4 million chickens and ducks have so far been culled.
The government has pointed to migratory birds as the original source of bird flu after the H5N8 virus was identified in a group of wild ducks found dead Jan. 17 at a reservoir near a duck farm that reported the first outbreak of AI. The highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has since been identified in 13 other cases that involved wild birds.
Health officials said the H5N8 strain, unlike a few other strains of bird flu, poses no immediate threats to humans. No human infection of the strain has been reported, they said. - Yonhap News.
70 TONS Of Fish Have Died In Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines.
Around P5.2-million worth of tilapia have been devastated as another fish kill hit anew portions of the critical Lake Sebu in South Cotabato in the last three weeks.
Rudy Muyco, Lake Sebu town’s lake warden, said Wednesday the continuing fish kill has already destroyed a total of 68.291 metric tons (MT) of fingerlings and adult tilapia from fish cages situated in the lake’s eastern and western section.
Citing the prevailing market prices, he valued the damage at P85 per kilo for the adult tilapia and P150 for the hybrid fingerlings.
As of Wednesday, he said the fish kill already affected around five hectares of fish cages and a total of 54 operators.
“The fish kill is still ongoing in some portions of the lake and the situation might get worse in the coming days due to the erratic weather condition,” he told MindaNews on the phone.
Muyco said the latest fish kill, which is the first this year, was caused anew by kamahong, a phenomenon that is mainly caused by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature.
He said several fish cage operators initially reported the problem in some portions of the lake last January 13 after the area’s weather condition suddenly changed due to a low pressure area that affected parts of Mindanao and Visayas.
Kamahong, which usually occurs during the rainy season, triggers the rise of sulfuric acid in the lake’s waters that eventually caused the massive fish kill, provincial fishery coordinator Rex Vargas earlier said.
“It occurs when cold rainwater, which is heavier than warm water, settles at the abyssal zone of the lake. This causes the upturn or upwelling of warm water carrying silts, sediments and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, sulphur and methane gas produced by the decomposing organic matter such as fish feeds,” he explained.
Vargas said such situation results in the reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water, “forcing fishes to take in oxygen directly from the atmosphere and eventually die.”
In October last year, around 20 MT of harvestable tilapia and pangasius valued at around P1 million were devastated due to a fish kill that affected some 60 fish cages in the area.
In 2012, around 57 MT of tilapia were destroyed in two fish kills at the lake that were blamed on kamahong.
The initial fish kill in January 2012 ravaged some 48.55 MT of tilapia. It affected 48 fish-cage owners and left a total damage of P3.8 million based on tilapia’s market price of P80 per kilo.
In August that same year, an additional 8,000 kilograms of tilapia, valued at around P650,000, were destroyed in another fish kill that affected 14 fish cages at the lake.
Muyco said the municipal government is presently preparing for the scheduled dismantling starting next week of illegal fish cages along the lake as a strategy to prevent future fish kills.
“The lake is overcrowded. We need to significantly reduce the number of fish cages to its carrying capacity to resolve these problems,” he said.
Muyco said that based on their assessment, Lake Sebu currently hosts a total of 4,800 fish cages or around 1,800 more than its carrying capacity.
The municipal government of Lake Sebu and the provincial government of South Cotabato earlier issued a demolition order for all illegal fish cages at the lake.
Among the fish cages that were targeted for demolition were those that have no permits, sub-leased by their original owners and situated in the lake’s inlets and outlets.
Muyco said the two local governments earlier gave fish cage operators and owners until January 30 to demolish their illegal fish cages but it was extended to February 11.
“Around 65 fish cages have been so far demolished by their owners and this is continuing as we speak. By next week, we expect this number to reach around 1,000,” he added. - Minda News.
January 31, 2014 - ASIA - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal, bird and fish die-offs across Asia:
Hundreds Of Turtles Washing Ashore Dead Along East Coast Of India.
Hundreds of Olive Ridley Turtles washed ashore dead along the Bay of Bengal coast in Krishna district. Photo: T. Appala Naidu
Hundreds of dead Olive Ridley Turtles are getting washed ashore along the Krishna district coastline of Bay of Bengal after getting trapped in the nets of fishermen.
The 115-km coast of the district serves as an ideal nesting ground for turtles. The dead turtles can be found in large numbers between Gilakaladindi Harbour and Manginapudi. Unsafe practices
Unfriendly fishing practices are posing a major threat to Olive Ridley Turtles, which are classified as ‘vulnerable’ according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Around 250 boats, including 150 small engine boats, are operating from Gilakaladindi harbour and not even 10 per cent of them are equipped with Turtle Excluder Device (TED), despite repeated appeals by the authorities.
The TED allows the turtle that get trapped in the fishing net to escape safely.
Appeals to use the TED is falling on deaf ears of boat operators, leading to sharp rise in death toll of turtles. No data
The Fisheries Department officials are not bothered about turtles and never insisted on use of TED by the boat operators, operating from Gilakaladindi harbour.
When asked about the number of boats equipped with TED, Harbour Fisheries Development Officer B. Raj Kumar told The Hindu that the department had no data and did not moot the issue with fishermen till date. Many boat operators said that they were releasing the turtles into sea when they were found in their nets . Rookeries
The Wildlife Management Division, Eluru, in support of Yanadi tribal people set up four rookeries for the conservation of the turtles at Jinakapalem, Sangameswaram, Lighthouse area and Eelachetladibba, which is heart of the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, in Krishna district. - The Hindu.
TONS Of Fish Found Dead In Two Dams In Bandung Regency, Indonesia.
Tons of fish cultivated at the Cirata and Saguling dams in West Bandung regency, West Java, died due to the impacts of extreme weather in the regency over the last few days.
“The deaths [of the fish], which were sparked by the absence of sunlight, caused fish farmers in the Cirata and Saguling dams to suffer losses estimated at billions of rupiah,” Sundaya, a representative of the local fish farming association, said on Monday as quoted by Antara.
He added that the lack of sunlight reduced the oxygen content in water, making it difficult for the fish to breathe, leading them to die. “Additionally, the high intensity of rainfall caused water from the bottom of dams, containing sediment and mud and the remains of fish food, to rise to the surface,” said Sundaya.
That, according to him, resulted in the creation of toxic conditions in which the fish could not survive for long, even types of fish that have the power to survive in various climate conditions. “For example, the fish of the tilapia species died because of [these conditions], even though they are classified as strong fish,” he said.
It was also feared that the extreme weather could spark virus attacks. “It’s difficult to detect infections from viruses, which usually attack the fish’s gills,” Sundaya said.
His association therefore demanded support from the local government to help farmers overcome the impacts of the extreme weather. - The Jakarta Post.
475,000 Birds Killed, 1.75 MILLION More To Be Killed Due To Outbreak Of Avian Flu In North Jeolla, South Korea.
The government is considering imposing a lockdown at all poultry farms throughout the country as avian influenza was showing signs of further spreading, officials said Sunday.
A nationwide lockdown, if issued, will prohibit the movement of any poultry, workers or vehicles from farms for 48 hours. Such a move can be extended once for another 48 hours.
Such a move will create what health authorities here have called a "window of opportunity" to sterilize all poultry farms at the same time and thus prevent a further spread of the disease.
The consideration for such a move apparently comes as the animal disease is fast spreading to surrounding areas from Gochang in North Jeolla Province, where the first outbreak of AI was confirmed Jan. 17.
The government had imposed a 48-hour lockdown at all poultry farms in Gochang soon after the first outbreak of AI was confirmed.
The number of confirmed AI cases has since reached 18 with the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of the virus confirmed in the latest case at a chicken farm in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province on Saturday.
A new suspected case was reported earlier in the day at a duck farm in Cheonnan, located only some 80 kilometers south of Seoul, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a press release.
Tests were under way in an additional 21 suspected cases as of Sunday.
Some 470,000 birds, mostly ducks, have been slaughtered so far.
Over 1.74 million others are set to be culled as the government has decided to also destroy chickens at all farms within 3 kilometers from affected farms after it confirmed the first outbreak of bird flu in chickens Saturday. - The Korea Herald.
10 TONS Of Fish Die Suddenly In Lake Maninau, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
About 10 tons of fish types of goldfish and tilapia in floating cages Maninjau, Agam regency, West Sumatra (West Sumatra), died suddenly due to high winds that hit the area.
Head of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) Agam, Ermanto in Lubukbasung on Wednesday said the death of fish due to high winds that occurred a few days ago.
"The wind blows the water resulted in a reversal of the lake bottom to the water surface, so that the air in the bottom of the lake into a vacuum," he said.
He said dozens of tonnes of dead fish is the highest in the region Bayua and lascivious.
"This fish is dead since a few days ago in some floating net cages owned by farmers," said Ermanto.
As a result of this incident, the farmers suffered a loss of about Rp260 million, due to the price of fish in the market around Rp26.000 per kilogram.
To overcome this, Ermanto said, farmers are encouraged to stop stocking and immediate early harvest so that the other fish do not die.
Then, turn on the oxygen pump that has been given to the fishermen Agam DKP by 30 units in 2013, stop feeding for a while and others.
Previously, DKP Agam has given a circular to farmers to reduce seeding in August 2013 until January 2014, because at that time extreme weather that resulted in water rising to the surface and tubo Balerang.
"This circular every year we provide to the public with the aim that the farmers do not experience substantial losses. Yet people ignore these calls," he said.
He said, KJA fish deaths in Lake Maninjau reduced in each year, as many as 15,000 tons in 2008, then 2009 was 15,000 tons, 500 tons in 2010.
In 2011 as much as 500 tons, and 300 tons in 2012 and 2013 dropped to eight tons.
A farmer in floating cages Bayau, Amin, said he suffered a loss of tens of millions of dollars.
"Average dead fish ready for harvest. Myself pick two units of fish cages almost died. Cages can be harvested one ton of fish to reach a size of 8x10 meter cages," he said.
He said at present there are about Maninjau 16.000an floating net cages. Each farmer has about 4-10 cages. - Antara News. [Antara News]
10,000 Chickens Die Suddenly Due To Avian Flu In Kudat, Malaysia.
A total of 10,000 chickens died suddenly in some cage farm in the hamlet Gebot, Muktisari Village, District Cipaku, Kudat District during the last three days. Locals fret for fear of causing death allegedly by the H5N1 virus or bird flu.
One of the cattle owner, you Suhanda say, chicken livestock deaths have occurred during the three days. Each chicken flocks are dead, can reach thousands of head simultaneously.
"Death does not know what the cause is. Fact been found in dead chickens in the thousands tails. There is a cage running out at once," you clearly when questioned on Thursday (23/01/2014).
According to you, the symptoms of chicken that died initially as fever. A few hours later, the chickens were found dead. Almost ten cages total contents of 10,000 laying hens all died. "Laying hens that died when priced I could reach hundreds of millions of dollars," he said.
Meanwhile, some officials of the Animal Husbandry Department Kudat, immediately took some samples of the chickens that died suddenly. Starting from dirt, saliva, and eye examinations chicken.
"Samples will be analyzed in the laboratory. Currently we can not conclude whether or not the bird flu positive. Indeed, if there are symptoms with the sudden death of chickens simultaneously," explains Wasdi, Chief District Veterinary Office Kudat.
In addition to sampling, Wasdi said, it also gives the vaccine to the farm cages. The move was done so that the spread of the virus is not widespread. In fact, some of the workers at the farm was required so that the spread of the virus sterilization is not transmissible to humans.
"In addition to spraying the vaccine, we also conduct sterilization to humans. If the result is still waiting for the lab," he said.
This incident alarmed some other chicken farmers and local residents. Moreover, the spread of this dangerous virus can be deadly to humans. - Kompas. [Translated]
Hundreds Of Chickens Die Suddenly In Madiun County, Indonesia.
Illustration. (AFP PHOTOS / Andreas Fitri Atmoko)
Hundreds of chickens owned by residents in the village Glonggong, Candimulyo, and Kradinan, Madiun, East Java, died suddenly discovered that allegedly caused the bird flu virus.
"I was shocked, as was already seen many dead. Approximately chicken types Bangkok more than 25 dead tail," said Jauhari, Glonggong Village residents, District Dolopo Wednesday.
According to him, dozens of chickens that died this tail has a characteristic blue head. In fact, the day before the condition of the pet chicken is relatively healthy.
Meanwhile, the condition of the other chickens are still alive is equally alarming. Comb chickens bluish, swollen eyes, and beak out of mucus mixed with blood. The disease is also known to attack other chickens belonging to her neighbors.
Jauhari claimed loss because the rooster kind Bangkoknya worth millions of dollars. However, he could not do much and the chickens must be willing to be destroyed by burning.
The same thing is expressed by villagers Sukemi Kradinan. Since the last three days, dozens of his chickens and other citizens, died suddenly every day.
Residents crowded-rama burn the chicken carcass so as not to infect other chickens are still healthy.
"We also have to report to the relevant agencies for immediate action from the bird flu disease," said Sukemi.
Meanwhile, Mantri Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Madison County Supeno said it could not confirm whether the hundreds of chickens died from bird flu virus attacks. That's because it is still awaiting the results of laboratory tests.
"To ascertain the cause of death of chickens, we have taken samples and sent to the laboratory. Still waiting for the result," said Supeno.
Besides burning infected chicken carcasses, it also asked the breeder chickens, ducks, and birds in the area to clean pet cages regularly.
Relevant government officers also spraying disinfectant on chicken coops and duck's in a number of locations in order to prevent bird flu or H5N1 virus in the local area.
As for the poultry population in accordance with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries records of local, free-range chicken reaches 1.5 million birds, 200 thousand chickens laying hens, broiler 400 thousand chickens, ducks and 70,000 of the tail. - Antara News. [Translated]
November 15, 2013 - CENTRAL AMERICA - Hundreds of sea turtles are washing up dead on the beaches of Central America and scientists don't know why.
One hypothesis is that the killer is a potent neurotoxin that can be produced by algae during red tides, which are large accumulations of algae that turn sea water red or brown.
A map showing the most recent discoveries of dead turtles.
A dead Eastern Pacific green sea turtle on the Costa Rican coast. Source: Supplied
What puzzles scientists is the fact that red tides have come and gone before without taking such a deadly toll on turtles.
Another theory is that the use of explosives by Costa Rican fishermen.
Making things worse, some of the turtles that are dying are endangered species.
Eastern Pacific green sea turtles began appearing on the shores of northwestern Costa Rica in the past week. Most recently, the Nicaraguan conservation group Paso Pacifico found 28 dead turtles off the coast of San Juan del Sur, just north of the Costa Rican discoveries.
In El Salvador, from late September to the middle of October, 114 sea turtles were discovered dead on Pacific coast beaches, according to the environment ministry.
They were black turtles (Chelonia agassizii), Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and ones that are a cross between the two.
Scientists throughout Central America are alarmed, and the only laboratory that specialises in turtles is taking tissue and organ samples in a bid to figure out what is going on.
The death toll elsewhere is high - 115 so far this year in Guatemala, 280 in Costa Rica and an undisclosed number in Nicaragua. Another 200 died in late 2012 in Panama.
And in Nicaragua there is yet another problem: the turtles showed up weeks late, at the end of September, to crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs.
"Some say it could be due to climate change, sea currents or the techniques used by fishermen,'' said biologist Ivan Ramirez of the Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Nicaragua (Fundenic).
The head of wildlife and ecosystems at the Salvadoran environment ministry, Nestor Herrera, said the strongest hypothesis over the death of the turtles is that they were killed by saxitoxin - which affects the nervous system and can be produced by a red tide.
In one area of El Salvador's coast, dogs that started eating dead turtles stopped breathing and died almost instantly.
In 2006, saxitoxin killed about 500 sea turtles in El Salvador, and four years later, another 100 died of the same cause.
However, there is a red tide almost every year, while such widespread turtle deaths have never happened before, said Angel Ibarra, coordinator of Ecological Unity of El Salvador, who added more study is needed to shed light on the phenomenon.
Others worry that the recent spate of turtle deaths can be traced more directly to human activity.
In Guatemala, the National Council of Protected Areas said some turtles are caught up by industrial-size fishing boats that drag nets along the sea bed and capture everything in their path, a process called trawling.
And drift net fishing, in which very long nets float behind a ship and near the surface of the water, could also be a threat to turtles.
Jose Leonidas Gomez, who works with a sea turtle conservation project in El Salvador, said turtles discovered dead on one beach were found not to have eaten, so it is presumed they got caught in nets.
Biologist Fabio Buitrago of Nicaragua's Fundenic said turtles are also being killed by fishermen who use explosives, among other techniques. "The fishermen themselves say so,'' he said.
Antonio Benavides, a veteran turtle conservationist in El Salvador, said protecting the creatures is all the more difficult because the mortality rate for juveniles is already high.
Only one out of a thousand babies that hatch and make it out into the sea ever returns to the beach as an adult to lay eggs.
Fertility is yet another issue: in September scientists in Honduras said turtles on one beach laid 40 per cent fewer eggs. - The Australian.
November 11, 2013 - CENTRAL AMERICA - Hundreds of sea turtles are washing up dead on the beaches of Central America and scientists don't know why.
One hypothesis is that the killer is a potent neurotoxin that can be produced by algae during red tides, which are large accumulations of algae that turn sea water red or brown.
The puzzling thing, though, is that red tides have come and gone before without taking such a deadly toll on turtles.
Making things worse, some of the turtles dying are from endangered species.
In El Salvador, for instance, from late September to the middle of October, 114 sea turtles were discovered dead on Pacific coast beaches, according to the environment ministry.
They were black turtles (Chelonia agassizii), Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and ones that are a cross between the two.
Scientists throughout Central America are alarmed, and the only laboratory that specializes in these creatures is taking tissue and organ samples to figure out what is going on.
The death toll in other countries is just as ugly -- 115 so far this year in Guatemala, 280 in Costa Rica and an undisclosed number in Nicaragua. Another 200 died in late 2012 in Panama.
And in Nicaragua there is yet another problem: turtles showed up weeks late, at the end of September, to crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs.
"Some say it could be due to climate change, sea currents or the techniques used by fishermen," said biologist Ivan Ramirez of the Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Nicaragua (Fundenic).
The head of wildlife and ecosystems at the Salvadoran environment ministry, Nestor Herrera, said the strongest hypothesis over the death of the turtles is that they were killed by saxitoxin -- which affects the nervous system and can be produced by a red tide.
In one area of El Salvador's coast, dogs that started eating dead turtles stopped breathing and died almost instantly.
In 2006, saxitoxin killed about 500 sea turtles in El Salvador, and four years later, another 100 died of the same cause.
However, there is a red tide almost every year, while such widespread turtle deaths have never happened before, said Angel Ibarra, coordinator of Ecological Unity of El Salvador, who added more study is needed to shed light on the phenomenon.
Others worry that the recent spate of turtle deaths can be traced more directly to human activity.
In Guatemala, the National Council of Protected Areas said some turtles are caught up by industrial-size fishing boats that drag nets along the sea bed and capture everything in their path, a process called trawling.
And drift net fishing, in which very long nets float behind a ship and near the surface of the water, could also be a threat to turtles.
Jose Leonidas Gomez, who works with a sea turtle conservation project in El Salvador, said turtles discovered dead on one beach were found not to have eaten, so it is presumed they got caught in nets.
Biologist Fabio Buitrago of Nicaragua's Fundenic said turtles are also being killed by fishermen who use explosives, among other techniques.
"The fishermen themselves say so," he said.
Antonio Benavides, a veteran turtle conservationist in El Salvador, said protecting the creatures is all the more difficult because the mortality rate for juveniles is already high.
Only one out of a thousand babies that hatch and make it out into the sea ever returns to the beach as an adult to lay eggs.
Fertility is yet another issue: in September scientists in Honduras said turtles on one beach laid 40 percent fewer eggs. - Business Insider.
April 16, 2013 - INDIA - Recent news confirmed that a young-adult Olive Ridley turtle has been sent back to the place she belonged to on Sunday. It has been stated that a rehabilitation centre of TREE Foundation in Neelangarai had been taking care of the turtle, which was rescued by two nature lovers in the month of January.
It has been claimed that the turtle, named Yuvath, has gained three kg of weight during the course of treatment for nearly two-and-half months. The turtle was carried in a huge drum from the TREE Foundation Rescue and Rehabilitation facility at Blue Beach Road, Neelankarai to the sea.
Though she looked a little confused as to where she is being taken to, she smoothly adapted herself in some time in the sea after being released.
"When a turtle gets entangled in a net, the fisherman chops off the flipper to disentangle his net .The government should do more to protect these creatures", said Dharini., while taking about how sea turtles combat such threats from humans.
It is noted that in the early 1970, over 100 nests were recorded per km of shoreline, though they have been trim down to 10 or 11 nests per km. if records are to be referred, as many as 400 dead turtles washed ashore this year along the coast of Tamil Nadu. - Newspoint.
February 17, 2013 - INDIA - Nearly 100 carcasses of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles were
washed ashore under mysterious circumstances, baffling scientists and
locals, at the coast of Appikonda beach in Andhra Pradesh state.
According to reports, this is one of the highest death tolls of Olive Ridleys in Vizag district after a span of four years.
The
Olive Ridley turtles, which are listed as an endangered species, land
up in thousands on Indian shores between the months of November and
March.
100 Turtles Wash Ashore Dead In Andhra Pradesh, India.
The head of the environmental science department,
E.U.Bhaskar Reddy, said the cause of the deaths of the turtles is yet to
be ascertained.
"Some of the species in the population might be
growing older, some may have become sick and some may after death,
natural death the worse thing will be throwing them out and these
carcasses will be coming to the shore and we have to verify whether
these turtles they are coming to the shore in a complete dead state or
sick state, then only we can comment," said Reddy.
In February
2008, nearly 700 Olive Ridleys were declared dead on the beaches of
Appikonda, Tantadi, Mutyallammapalem and Tikkavanipalem.
Not only turtles, but even territorial fish are becoming victims of the unchecked pollution.
A
biopsy was conducted in 2008 on the dead turtles and the reports
suggested the presence of nitrates in abnormally high quantity in the
guts, indicating that not only the water but even the feed had turned
toxic in the area which was the home to these turtles.
After the
incident, environmentalists had raised a hue and cry over the issue,
and the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board also promised to take
some measures to prevent a repeat of these deaths.
Olive Ridleys
migrate from the coast of Mexico to the Andhra Pradesh coast for
breeding and nesting each year between the months of November and March.
Many of them die along the Visakhapatnam coast after getting
trapped in the double-filament gill nets that are used by trawlers and
now pollution is another major problem. (ANI) - News Track India.
Fish Kill In The Periyar River, India.
Allegations and counter-allegations continue to fly after yet another
fish kill was reported in the upstream of the Periyar river in Pathalam
recently. The Irrigation Department and environmentalists strongly
suspect industrial units situated nearby of dumping effluents in to the
river leading to frequent fish kills in the area.
However, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board has stuck to its
earlier claim that poor water flow in the Pathalam stretch resulted in
sudden drop in the dissolved oxygen level which led to the fish kill.
The Pollution Control Board had asked the Irrigation Department last
week to immediately lift the shutters at Pathalam to increase the water
level in the stretch.
M. S. Mythili, Chief Environmental Engineer of the board at Ernakulam,
said the dissolved oxygen level at Pathalam bund was 1.6 mg/litre. She
said aquatic life would be put under stress, if the oxygen level was
below 2 mg/litre.
Findings rejected
A senior official of the Irrigation Department, however, has rejected
the board’s findings. He pointed out that despite poor water flow in
Manjummel and Purapallikavu stretches of the river, fish kills were not
reported near these bunds.
“It is common sense that the industrial units near the Pathalam stretch
dump toxic effluents in to the river triggering fish kills. But board
officials do not confirm this as they do not want to receive the wrath
of the political leadership for being anti-industry,” the official said.
The Irrigation Department officials also clarified that the shutters
were downed for three days after the discharge rate from Bhootatankettu
dam came down considerably over the past few weeks.
Purushan Eloor, spokesperson of the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha
Samithi, supported the views expressed by the Irrigation Department by
stating that reduced levels of dissolved oxygen was a clear indicator of
high pollution in the Pathalam stretch.
Blaming the nearby industrial units for letting untreated effluents in
to the river, Mr. Purushan held the board responsible for not acting
against the violators.
“According to the board the dissolved oxygen level near the Pathalam
bridge where the fish kill happened is 4.7 mg/litre. This is above the
minimum limit prescribed by the board,” he said. - The Hindu.
February 07, 2013 - INDIA - A sudden increase in the number of deaths of Olive
Ridley turtles along the 134-km stretch of the Chennai coast from Napier
Bridge up to Marakkanam has shocked conservationists.
More
than 120 turtles were found dead from near Napier Bridge to Neelankarai
by the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) between the end
of December and January 31. Another 119 deaths were recorded on the
shoreline from Neelankarai up to Marakkanam by the volunteers of TREE
Foundation.
Akila Balu of the SSTCN said since last
month, the volunteers of the group recorded at least five dead turtles
along the stretch every night during their turtle walks. One night, the
volunteers sighted 14 dead turtles between Napier Bridge and
Neelankarai.
Shocked conservationists cite high mast lamps, trawler fishing in the vicinity as reasons.
The volunteers have taken the issue to
the notice of Chief Wildlife Warden, Tamil Nadu, who promised to take up
the issue with Fisheries and Environment departments. Some
years ago, following a request from conservationists, the Chennai
Corporation agreed to switch off the high mast lights along the shore
during the turtle nesting season between December and ends in March, Ms.
Akila said. A G.O. in this regard was also issued.
But, the lights are not regularly switched off and this attracted the
turtles towards the shore, resulting in their deaths, she said. Supraja
Dharini of TREE Foundation attributes the increase in the number of
deaths to the tendency of trawlers to fish close to the coastline and
use of gill net by fishermen. With an increase in the demand for seer
fish, many fishermen have started using these nets. Dr. Dharini explained that the gill net wraps the turtle, leading to its death.
The
turtles have to come up to the surface once in every 45 minutes to
breathe and if caught in a net, they drown. Inspection of the carcasses
revealed the bloating of the body and bulging of both eyes and the neck,
she said. Another problem is the use of ray fish
net. She said turtles often get entangled in this net which has a wide
mesh with a strong rope. They are unable to wriggle out, she said. Dr.
Dharini said: “Sea turtles have been categorised under Schedule I of
the Wildlife Protection Act on par with lions, tigers or leopards.
Killing any animal or marine organism falling under this category would
attract severe punishment. But, due to lack of awareness, the death of
marine organisms such as sea turtles are not given due importance.” - The Hindu.
