Around 150 marine animals stranded on Karnataka beaches every year: Report
Hubballi: Karnataka’s coastline witnesses the stranding of around 150 marine animals annually, with nearly half of them found dead, according to data collected by Reefwatch, a non-governmental organisation working in collaboration with the forest departments of Karnataka and Goa.
The majority of the reported strandings involve Olive Ridley Sea Turtles along the Karnataka's 340 km coastline, the study found, as cited by Deccan Herald on Friday.
In the last six years, over 1,800 stranded marine animals, including sea turtles, pelagic birds, and cetaceans such as dolphins, whales, and porpoises, have been documented along the coasts of Karnataka and Goa. The relatively lower rate of reporting from Karnataka is attributed to its largely secluded beaches, but growing awareness and improved networks among local fishing communities have enabled better response from forest officials in recent years.
“Monsoon and the weeks preceding monsoons tend to have a high percentage of stranding due to entanglement in ghost fishing gear and drowning due to trawl nets. We have also recorded a number of plastic ingestion, parasites and infectious cases,” DH quoted Shantanu Kalambi, Marine Veterinary Specialist and Project Manager of Reefwatch, as saying.
Human activities remain a significant cause of marine animal distress. The discharge of untreated sewage into sea, accumulation of plastic waste, and unregulated fishing in restricted zones are among the major contributing factors to the stranding events.
In a recent case, the Karwar division reported the stranding of four turtles since May 24, all of which were entangled in ghost nets. Thanks to timely intervention, all four were rescued and released back into the sea.
“Over the years we have improved our information network and gained the trust of local fishermen, who have been informing us about the stranded animals. With the help of an NGO, our staff has been treating the injured animals and monitoring them. Once they are fit, the marine animals are released into the sea,” DH quoted Karwar Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) C Ravishankar, as saying.
Anthony Mariyappa, DCF Mangaluru, stated that with the introduction of species recovery programme on Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, the forest department has been able to take local fishermen into confidence and address the stranded species effectively.
However, challenges persist. Sources in the department reportedly mentioned that shortage of staff is hindering the conservation activities. Currently, the department veterinaries deputed from animal husbandry department, who have been dealing with mammals, and not with marine animals.
“We need at least one marine expert in each of the division so that rescue efforts could be sped up, today we have one veterinary doctor for three-four divisions,” DH quoted one of the senior officers as saying.
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Vijayendra hits back at CM Siddaramaiah over demand for PM Modi's resignation
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Saturday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D K Shivakumar should have resigned two years ago, if they expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down over the recent fuel price hike.
His remarks came a day after Siddaramaiah condemned the petrol and diesel price hike, demanding its immediate rollback, and called for Modi’s resignation, holding him responsible for "failing" the people, mismanaging the economy, and pushing ordinary families into deeper hardship.
Rejecting Siddaramaiah's demands, he asked, "Does the Congress and other opposition parties in the country not know why the petrol and diesel prices are increasing? If they demand the Prime Minister's resignation for the hike in petrol and diesel, then Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar should have resigned two years ago."
Speaking to reporters here, he pointed out that the Congress government in the state increased petrol and diesel prices by hiking taxes without citing any reason.
"They have done it four to five times. How many times, then, should Siddaramaiah have resigned? Considering the situation globally and in the country, and the distress situation looming globally, the Prime Minister has advised certain things."
The BJP leader urged the opposition not to oppose for the sake of opposing.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
Vijayendra also dismissed the allegations that the price hike was deliberately delayed until the conclusion of polls in five states and one union territory, and said PM Narendra Modi doesn't make any decision keeping elections in mind.
"Considering the interests of the country, the people, and the poor, he makes appropriate decisions at the right time," he added.
