Port Blair, Nov 10: The Indian Coast Guard Ship Aruna Asaf Ali, while operating near Ross Island on 01 Nov 13, sighted one turtle entangled badly in ropes/net and struggling for life. The Commanding Officer of the ship, Comdt MS Gill promptly maneuvered the vessel for rescuing the turtle which has been declared as the endangered species as per the Wildlife Act, 1972.
The ship’s boarding party carefully recovered the turtle onboard and cut the ropes for releasing the turtle safely again into the sea. The Coast Guard, as part of their Community Interaction Programme, has been educating the fishermen not to through damaged nets and ropes into the sea as it is harmful not only to the marine animals, but also constitutes a navigational hazard for the ships, a communication received from Coast Guard said.
