Sea Turtles found dead in Davao Gulf

Digos City, Davao del Sur – The Provincial Environment Office in Davao del Sur is worried over the recent incidents of sea turtles found dead in the Davao Gulf. Last November 2, 2009, Erning Pirante a fisherman residing in Patulangon, Sta. Cruz saw a more than two feet hawksbill turtle (scientific name Franz) floating in the shorelines lifeless. Its scales were falling apart but its body had no signs of wounds that might have caused its death. A week ago, residents along Piape Beach in Padada also found a dead hawksbill turtle that weighed about fifty kilos and about five feet in length from its head to its tail. Josol Sabado, a fisherman in the area narrated he screamed for help when he saw the floating turtle, thinking it was a sea monster. Provincial Environment Officer Marcia Isip revealed that about two months ago, two hawksbill turtles were also found dead along Sarangani coast. The PENRO has yet to establish the cause of the deaths of these turtles. But the initial investigation indicates that these turtles may have died due to change in weather conditions. “It could be attributed to climate change. The sudden change in temperature may have caused their deaths,” Isip said. The PENRO had difficulty examining the dead turtles as they were already buried by the fishermen who found them. The PENRO has called on the fishermen in the locality to immediately report to their office should they encounter a similar occurrence. Francis Magbanua, ABS-CBN Digos City