Environment personnel in Sarangani have raised an alarm on the rising deaths of sea turtles or pawikan in the province after 16 dead Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were found in parts of the province’s coastal areas last year.
Dr. Roy Mejorada, in-house veterinarian of the Sarangani Environmental Conservation and Protection Center, told The Daily Tribune that they have asked the Protected Area Management Board of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape to look into the suspicious deaths of sea turtles.
Many of the turtles’ necropsy results show possible human-inflicted injuries.
Sarangani’s six coastal municipalities have been identified as nesting sites of sea turtles, while Maasim and Maitum municipalities have established hatcheries for the species.
Any form of violence against wildlife is punishable under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
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