On Tuesday afternoon, 111 baby turtles were released into the sea at Shah Porir Dwip Majherpara Beach in Teknaf. These hatchlings were born at a hatchery in Teknaf and then set free in the ocean.
On March 29, another 300 baby turtles were released in the same area.
Abdul Kaiyum, Manager of Natural Resource Management and Climate Change at Nature Conservation Management (NECOM), confirmed the release.
He stated that 8,500 turtle eggs were collected this year from the coastal areas near Shah Porir Dwip Majherpara Beach. So far, around 2,500 hatchlings have been successfully released into the sea at different times.
Moreover, this year, 25,700 turtle eggs have been collected from 12 different sites across Teknaf and Cox’s Bazar district. About 85% of these eggs have successfully hatched. NECOM staff members Alir Johar and Md. Faisal carefully placed the baby turtles on the sand, allowing them to make their way into the ocean naturally.
A recent survey by NECOM revealed that sea turtles now lay eggs at only 34 spots along the coast, a significant decline from 52 sites recorded a decade ago. This alarming trend suggests that turtle nesting habitats are increasingly under threat.
By Mohammad Morshed
File Photo
