KUALA TERENGGANU, March 15 (Bernama) -- Three male loggerhead turtle carcasses were found stranded in less than 31 hours at Chakar Forest beach, Kerteh in Kemaman by the Marine Conservation and Research Association Malaysia (PULIHARA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
PULIHARA field assistant Amira Hasanah Azaman said she and her team found the first turtle carcass at 12.50 midnight yesterday (March 14) while patrolling the nesting turtles there.
"Then, at 8.56 last night we found the second carcass before finding another carcass at 7.20 this morning.
"All of them were found within a distance of 300 to 500 metres from each other," she said when contacted by Bernama today.
She said based on the size of the shells, the first and second turtle carcasses, which are 91.8 centimetres (cm) and 85.3cm respectively, are sub-adult turtles while the current turtle carcass is an adult measuring 97cm.
She said physical examination found that the first and second turtles were estimated to have been dead for between one and two days while the third turtle had been dead for a week due to its skin having come off.
"The cause of death of the first and second turtles cannot be ascertained because they had bloated while we believe the third one was caught in a stingray net because there were hammer or machete marks on the top of its shell and neck.
"We suspect they (the wounds) may have been done by irresponsible parties who wanted to release them from the net," he said.
According to the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF), the use of stingray nets is an offence under the Fisheries (Prohibition of Fishing) Regulations 1980 and can be prosecuted in court.
Amira Hasanah said her party has reported the discovery to the DOF Turtle Conservation and Information Centre and is in the process of burying the three turtle carcasses.
For the record, this is the first discovery of three turtle carcasses by PULIHARA this year as the turtle landing season has just begun due to the Northeast Monsoon which is currently in its resting phase.
-- BERNAMA
