Deadly nets

By The Nation on Sunday

Fishing boat nets were killing endangered sea turtles, a Department of Marine and Coastal Resources official urged yesterday.

Departmental officials yesterday conducted autopsies on four green turtles found dead on beaches in Chumphon. Five other dead turtles were found on the Gulf coasts at Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Surat Thani this month - the total (nine) is the highest amount since 2003.

Fishery expert official Parmote Chimhad said most green turtles died after becoming entangled with fishing boats' nets. Sea turtles breath through lungs and must surface regularly to breathe, but they suffocate if caught in trawl net for hours. Trammel nets could also wound a turtle with deep cuts which get infected and cause them to die, he said. People who find dead turtles on the Gulf coast were also urged to report them to 086-9611-7941.

-- The Nation 2011-01-30

Somehow they will find a way to blame the diving industry.

They are not very healthy for fish either.

Sad to see about the turtles as they as getting rarer by the year. Its been a long time since I saw one around Koh Tao but used to see them most dives around Chumphon.

Somehow they will find a way to blame the diving industry.

And in some cases should be blamed, I have seen a dive shop that sits out side their office flicking toxic cigarette butts into the street and sooner or later those toxic butts make it to the storm drains and then into the ocean, makes one wonder what they do on the boat!

Being a diver myself we have pulled dieing turtles out of Hawaiian waters loaded with cellulose acetate which cigarette filters are made with, they also had soars on their body, one would think a diver would not smoke or at least be more aware of the dangers to our waterways and never, never, ever leave a toxic butt behind for a unknowing child, wildlife or waterways to find.

(So somehow they will find a way to blame the diving industry) (yes) Many people in the diving industry are very aware and take care, a few and that's all it takes is a few, can make it bad for the rest.

The next time you go diving or walk past a dive shop, check out their grounds in front or back of their business and that will tell the story of what kind of operators and protectors of Mother Earth, type of people that your dealing with, or just look into the storm drains next to their place, ask them why they don't stencil them, like "Goes to Ocean, No Garbage" with a picture, in Thai and English, now maybe also Russian, of all people, the diving industry should be the most aware of our waterways and what to do to protect them.

Turtles eat jellyfish and plastic bags, bottle caps and toxic cigarette butts can in murky waters, look like their food, when the paper comes off a cigarette filter, the cellulose acetate long-gates and can be mistaken for a small jellyfish, these things also kill fish, dolphins, seabirds, the list goes on.

Again most divers and or dive shops are very aware of taking care of Mother Earth and it's Waterways only a few should have their dive license revoked and they know who they are.