Renowned turtle expert Nicolas J Pilcher has confirmed the nesting of Loggerhead Turtle species in Pakistan. He was speaking in a seminar on threats to the turtles in Pakistan. He said that the Loggerhead Turtles are nesting on Karachi shores. Until now the only two species recorded nesting in the country were the green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and a smaller number of Olive Ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea).
By far, the most widespread nesting is by the green turtle, from the eastern shores of Sindh all the way to the western shores of Balochistan. Recent findings by the IUCN Pakistan team, under the auspices of the Balochistan Partnerships for Sustainable Development Project, have documented this third species, the Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nesting at Daran beach, some 11 km South East of Jiwani.
It is informed that Loggerheads are known to nest in large numbers in Oman, on Masirah Island, and a small number nest in Yemen, but this is the first record of Loggerhead nesting in Pakistan. Pilcher told that the news expands the nesting range for Loggerheads and raises their survival outlook, in a climate where critical nesting habitats are being rapidly eaten up by development.
The discovery also manifests the known diversity of wildlife in Pakistan as well as its richness to host rare species. Turtles can be saved from drowning in fishing nets through the use of Turtle Excluder Devices, clever adaptations to nets, which allow fish and shrimp to enter the net and for turtles to escape through a special opening. For the past several decades marine turtle conservation programs have been underway in Pakistan.
