The World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan has reported a worrying increase in dead marine turtles along the Balochistan coast over the past 20 days, raising serious conservation concerns.
According to WWF-P officials, at least three turtle species, the loggerhead turtle, green turtle, and olive ridley turtle, were found dead in Gwadar West Bay on April 13 alone.
Authorities have attributed the deaths primarily to entanglement in fishing gear.
WWF-P technical adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan said fishermen have reported spotting 15 to 20 turtle carcasses along the coastline in recent weeks, warning that all marine turtle populations are under increasing threat.
He stressed that these incidents pose a serious setback to ongoing conservation efforts led by WWF-P and supported by government departments and global organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Experts noted that offshore gillnet fishing remains a major threat, particularly for olive ridley turtles, which are frequently caught unintentionally.
The loggerhead turtle, considered one of the rarest species in Pakistan, has been recorded only a handful of times over the past four decades.
While the green turtle continues to visit Pakistan’s beaches for nesting, conservationists warn that local populations remain vulnerable despite global improvements in its conservation status.
Environmentalists have called for urgent awareness campaigns and stricter monitoring of fishing practices to prevent further losses and protect marine biodiversity along Pakistan’s coastline.
