<i>Endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles rescued</i>

The Directorate of Environment officials seized two rare turtles at Tantibazar yesterday after a trader had brought them there to sell them.Photo: STAR

Two globally endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles were rescued from sellers at Taantibazar in the capital by the Department of Forest and Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh yesterday morning.
The rescued turtles were brought to the city from Patharghata, Barguna by a seller named Mamun, who had bought both of them for Tk 4,800 from local residents.
The turtles were on sale at Taantibazar for Tk 10,000 each. Two other sea turtles were sold for Tk 16,000 each recently, according to sources.
The endangered sea turtles are often sold in the city for consumption, mainly in the old town and in Farm Gate area.
The Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division of Forest Department filed a case under the Wildlife Act 1974 against Mamun, who was later sent to a court by police.
The rescued turtles started their journey back to a safe habitat yesterday evening.
Ishtiak Uddin Ahmed, conservator of forest, said last night, "The turtles are already on their way to Potenga beach in Chittagong. A team comprising officials of the Department of Forest and Department of Environment are transporting the turtles in a pick-up van."
Olive Ridley sea turtles are one of the five species of sea turtles found in the waters of Bangladesh. The other four species are Loggerhead turtles, Green turtles, Hawksbill turtles, and Leatherback turtles. All of these species are endangered globally. In Bangladesh they are found in the area stretching from the Sundarbans to Saint Martin's Island.
Olive Ridleys are graceful saltwater reptiles measuring up to 73cm in length, and weighing up to 45kg. Found primarily in tropical oceans and beaches, the females usually lay eggs 2 to 3 times a year, numbering up to 100 eggs in each phase. The eggs hatch after 7 to 10 weeks of laying.
In Bangladesh their breeding grounds are the Sundarbans in the southwest, and Sonadia Island, Cox's Bazar, Teknaf, and Saint Martin's Island in the southeast. They start breeding in September continuing until March -- January and February being the peak period.
These magnificent omnivorous sea creatures consume an unusual assortment of prey including fish, jellyfish, crustaceans and other shellfishes, sponges, and tunicates, they also eat sea grasses, and algae. However, they often become prey themselves.
People in the coastal belt capture the turtles when they come to beaches to lay eggs. Egg collection after the turtles leave the nests is also popular. The sea turtles require more than 7 to 9 years to attain reproductive maturity.
"People in our country are unaware of the importance of wildlife conservation. They capture these creatures to survive from poverty. They don't know anything about endangered species," said Md Anwarul Islam, chief executive of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh.
"The turtles are already endangered, if capturing of mature females continues, and if the eggs are taken away, the turtle population will decline sharply," he added.
"Major threats include human activities such as illegal harvesting of adults and eggs, destruction of feeding and nesting grounds, floating plastics, pollution, and incidental capturing with fishing nets," Islam said.
Injuries from collisions with boat and ship propellers are also common.
In Bangladesh, turtles are protected by national laws and international conventions. Presently there is a ban on killing or capturing any wild animal in the country, Islam mentioned.
Moreover, Bangladesh is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), where sea turtles are covered under Appendix I of the agreement, receiving protection from trade by all countries that signed the treaty, Islam added.
"The threats facing the sea turtles are numerous and humans are the worst threat. We urge the government to take immediate protection measures for those endangered sea turtles. Awareness building and amendments to existing laws are also necessary," he noted.