Bahrain’s turtles in danger

This video about the Arabian Gulf says about itself:

Tracking turtles in the Gulf

17 July 2010

The waters around the Gulf are teeming with life, but over fishing and pollution are seeing some species in rapid decline.

One of them is the Hawksbill turtle.

Joanna Blundell reports from Qatar on new efforts to save them.

Not only human lives are in danger in Bahrain … turtles‘lives are as well.

From Gulf Daily News in Bahrain:

Saving turtles

By MOHAMMED AL A’ALI, Posted on Saturday, October 12, 2013

A CAMPAIGN is being launched to protect endangered turtles off the coast of Muharraq.

Councillors say growing numbers are dying after getting tangled up in fishing nets or suffocating on rubbish floating in the sea.

Campaign

The Muharraq Municipal Council is now co-ordinating with the Supreme Council for the Environment and Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry to come up with protection and rescue plans.

A national campaign to save Bahrain’s turtles was launched in 2007 by the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife and the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research, which have both since been dissolved.

A study carried out as part of the drive found shrimping was responsible for more than half of Bahrain’s turtle deaths.

“Turtles continued to die way after the campaign ended and it is still mysterious why it was discontinued,” said Muharraq Municipal Council vice-chairman Ali Al Muqla.

“The mortality rate is around three turtles per day and that number is alarming considering that most turtle species in Bahrain are near extinction.

“Most of the dead turtles have been found off the Muharraq coast and for three main reasons – fishing nets, reclamation and dumping of plastic bags and building materials that lead to suffocation.”

Mr Al Muqla said the council agreed urgent action was needed in a bid to save the turtles.

“We have contacted the Supreme Council for the Environment and Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry and they have offered us help in our campaign, which they hope will be extended to include the four other governorates,” he said.

“The campaign will mainly focus on raising awareness, protection and rescue plans and will begin next month after the necessary arrangements are complete.

“We are currently negotiating the launch of a hotline and pages on social media that would certainly help give the campaign the push it needs.”

Mr Al Muqla said it was saddening to see endangered species shrink in number without anything being done to save them.

“Five years have passed and no one knows how many turtles are left in Bahrain,” he said.

“A field survey using modern technologies has to be carried out by specialists to get a figure because it would certainly give us an estimate on what we have to take care of.”

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