Dead endangered sea turtles tangled in fishing nets at the Sundarbans raise concerns over illegal fishing, weak enforcement and growing threats to biodiversity in the UNESCO-listed mangrove forest ecosystem globally.
Several endangered sea turtles have been found dead along the Mandarbari beach in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, apparently after becoming entangled in fishing nets, raising fresh concerns over illegal fishing inside the UNESCO-listed mangrove forest.
The carcasses were discovered on Saturday (January 24) by a group of tourists from Dhaka who visited Mandarbari Char, one of the most remote coastal stretches of the Sundarbans. The turtles were found with nylon fishing ropes tightly wrapped around their mouths and bodies, while eggs were seen scattered nearby, suggesting the animals may have died during the nesting season.
Tourist Nazrul Islam said the discovery was deeply disturbing. “Seeing a protected species die in such a manner was heartbreaking. We noticed fishing nets spread across rivers inside the sanctuary area,” he said.
On the same day, another dead turtle was seen floating near the confluence of the Mahmud River and Maiter Khal, indicating that marine wildlife deaths may be occurring across a wider area of the forest.
Environmentalists say the incidents highlight weak enforcement in the Sundarbans, around 70 percent of which has been declared a wildlife sanctuary to protect its fragile biodiversity. Osman Gani Sohag, an environmental activist, alleged that illegal fishing continues in protected zones, sometimes with the collusion of unscrupulous officials.
“Keystone species like turtles and crocodiles are dying inside a designated sanctuary. If such losses continue, the ecological balance of the Sundarbans will face long-term threats,” he warned.
Another visitor, Rakib Hasan, said any wildlife death inside a sanctuary is alarming and undermines conservation commitments. “Protected areas should be safe for wildlife and not death traps,” he said.
Forest officials, however, offered a different explanation. Dewan Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Pushpakati Forest Patrol Outpost under the Satkhira Range, said some turtles may die naturally due to old age, while many others get caught in fishing nets in the open sea. “During tidal movements, dead turtles often drift into our jurisdiction from the Bay of Bengal,” he said.
The Sundarbans, shared by Bangladesh and India, is the world’s largest mangrove forest and a critical nesting and breeding ground for several globally threatened marine and terrestrial species. Conservationists continue to urge stricter monitoring, responsible fishing practices and greater accountability to prevent further loss of biodiversity in the ecologically sensitive region.
