By Haroon Khalid
On the morning of March 25, downstream Sukkur Barrage, thousands of turtles, both soft and hard shell, were found dead on both sides of the Indus Bank. All the soft shell turtles, that were bigger in size, were found without their carapace. The hard shell turtles were left untouched.
In the last seven to eight years, the demand for carapace has increased rapidly. Because carapace, a jelly-like structure or shell made of bone or chitin that covers a part of the body, especially the back of a crab or a turtle, is a valued ingredient in many Asian foods and also used in the medicine industry.
From the tests conducted on water, dead turtles and adjacent areas, it is apparent that potassium cyanide, a toxic chemical that does not differentiate between a turtle and a fish, is being used to kill marine life. This toxic chemical impacts the larger ecosystem in a deadly way. It poisons the carapace and water as well.
In the last seven to eight years, the demand for carapace has increased rapidly. Because carapace, a jelly-like structure or shell made of bone or chitin that covers a part of the body, especially the back of a crab or a turtle, is a valued ingredient in many Asian foods and also used in the medicine industry.
From the tests conducted on water, dead turtles and adjacent areas, it is apparent that potassium cyanide, a toxic chemical that does not differentiate between a turtle and a fish, is being used to kill marine life. This toxic chemical impacts the larger ecosystem in a deadly way. It poisons the carapace and water as well.
Use of such material is relatively easier during the current season of low rain. During low water periods several ponds are formed in the down stream area. This stagnation of water makes everything in there an easy prey for the poison. In the recent years, so much money has been inducted into this business that some fishermen have taken up this practice, too. Turtles are the best scavengers under water. If they did not create a clean environment most species would not be able to survive in polluted conditions. The case would be similar to the 'extinction' of vultures and the rise of diseases like rabies. According to Dr Masood Arshad, a fisherman is aware that turtles are the best conservationists, "He knows if he kills the soft back turtles there wouldn't be anything left for his children in the future." However, he says, "a few of them, who don't share the same vision, believe in grasping everything today. They help the traders by maximising their catch." This relationship that exists between the fisherman and the trader is limited to a mobile phone. It is reported that their names and whereabouts are not known. All they need to do is make a call and agree upon a date of delivery. On the day of delivery, they show up on their truck, to take their hunt.
Allegedly, there are at least three government departments involved in this horrific incident, Fishery, Wildlife, and Environment Ministries. The first two are involved in a blame game. The Fishery Department says that since there were no fish at the spot, therefore this doesn't lie in their scope of work. The Wildlife, on the other hand, says that since this was an act originating from the fishermen community, it falls under the umbrella of the former. The Environment Department has no other option but to take its responsibility.
For a long time, the Fishery Department has given out contracts to a single contractor for various stretches of the river. The contractors further sublet their tenures. However, under the present government, the Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum (PFFF) insisted that the contractor system should be scrapped and instead cards should be allotted to fishermen by the Department, so that the poor fisherman could reap the maximum results of his catch. The government issued the Benazir Fishing Card, which can be purchased for Rs10. Now, anyone, with the right contacts can get hold of this card, and extract fish from the river. In the former system, if such an event took place, there would be at least one contractor you could fall back on. However, we are clueless about where to begin from, and where to end. The PFFF seems to have realised its short-sightedness and now wants to revoke this setup, going back to the initial one.
At the moment, the government institutes are being persistently shaken by the World Wide Fund (WWF) to wake up from its slumber and put a ban on turtle trade and implement other preventive policies. If such a ban is put in place, hopefully such catastrophes will be avoided in the future.
Allegedly, there are at least three government departments involved in this horrific incident, Fishery, Wildlife, and Environment Ministries. The first two are involved in a blame game. The Fishery Department says that since there were no fish at the spot, therefore this doesn't lie in their scope of work. The Wildlife, on the other hand, says that since this was an act originating from the fishermen community, it falls under the umbrella of the former. The Environment Department has no other option but to take its responsibility.
For a long time, the Fishery Department has given out contracts to a single contractor for various stretches of the river. The contractors further sublet their tenures. However, under the present government, the Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum (PFFF) insisted that the contractor system should be scrapped and instead cards should be allotted to fishermen by the Department, so that the poor fisherman could reap the maximum results of his catch. The government issued the Benazir Fishing Card, which can be purchased for Rs10. Now, anyone, with the right contacts can get hold of this card, and extract fish from the river. In the former system, if such an event took place, there would be at least one contractor you could fall back on. However, we are clueless about where to begin from, and where to end. The PFFF seems to have realised its short-sightedness and now wants to revoke this setup, going back to the initial one.
At the moment, the government institutes are being persistently shaken by the World Wide Fund (WWF) to wake up from its slumber and put a ban on turtle trade and implement other preventive policies. If such a ban is put in place, hopefully such catastrophes will be avoided in the future.