49 turtles found dead along West Godavari coast; officials blame illegal fishing nets

West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh: Forty-nine turtles have been found dead along the West Godavari district coastline in the past 48 hours, sparking fears of illegal fishing activity close to the shore, officials said on Thursday.

District Forest Official FA Kiran told PTI that the turtles appeared to have become entangled in fishing nets cast within the restricted coastal zone. Local fishermen are required to cast nets beyond a permissible distance from the shoreline, but evidence suggests many are operating closer in.

“Forty nine turtles have been found dead along West Godavari coastline over the past two days, raising serious concerns about fishing nets being cast close to the shore,” Kiran said.

West Godavari has a coastline of just 19 kilometres. Turtles surface every 45 minutes to breathe and then return to deeper waters, but the forest department believes nets laid too near the shore prevent them from resurfacing, leading to drowning.

ALSO READ | After ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ row, Govt mulls mandate for military veterans to clear books with MoD?

Physical signs such as popped eyes and swollen necks, confirmed by veterinary post-mortem examinations, indicate the deaths were due to drowning, the official said.

Kiran called on the fisheries department to increase enforcement, including stricter surveillance, awareness camps for fishermen, and the use of GPS tracking on boats. He noted that these measures have not been effectively implemented.

It remains unclear whether the turtles died within West Godavari’s coastal limits or drifted from elsewhere before washing ashore, he added.

ALSO READ | Union Budget 2026 puts Kerala on national map for turtle trails

The district’s marine police jurisdiction ends at Konaseema, meaning officers would have to travel nearly 60 kilometres to reach West Godavari if needed. The area also has only one mechanised boat for monitoring, unlike neighbouring regions such as Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Konaseema, which have several.

Kiran also highlighted the threat posed by abandoned “ghost nets” and urged the formation of dedicated patrol teams to remove them and prevent further marine deaths.