Marine officials rescued an endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle at Karon Beach after it was found trapped in a discarded fishing net on June 20.
Officers from the Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animals Rescue Centre, which operates under the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), received a report of a turtle washed ashore, alive but entangled in netting. Upon their arrival, they found the adult female Olive Ridley sea turtle struggling on the sand.
The turtle, weighing approximately 31.7 kilogrammes and measuring 64 centimetres in shell length and 68 centimetres in width, exhibited a normal body condition score of 3 out of 5. However, it had sustained injuries at the base of both flippers and swelling around the neck due to the net.
Marine biologists administered immediate treatment before transporting the turtle to the Sireetarn rescue centre at Cape Panwa. There, it will be rehabilitated until it regains sufficient strength to be released back into the wild.
This incident marks the second turtle entanglement at Karon Beach this month. On June 5, lifeguard Sarayut Kunarup discovered a juvenile Olive Ridley sea turtle caught in another abandoned fishing net.
This turtle, weighing around 20 kilogrammes and measuring 50 centimetres in shell length, was in good health and showed no signs of injury. Officers freed the young turtle and safely returned it to the sea.
Marine officials have underscored the significant threat posed by discarded fishing gear to marine life. They urge local fishermen and the public to dispose of nets and plastic waste responsibly, reported The Phuket News.
Last year, a sea turtle washed ashore in Phuket after becoming entangled in discarded fishing nets. The young turtle was discovered by lifeguards on Kalim Beach, just north of Patong, among a mix of marine debris.
Lifeguards from the Patong Surf Life Saving Club managed to safely cut away the netting and alerted officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).
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