Amid government negligence… fishermen save turtles from extinction in Yemen
In the absence of official authorities, simple fishermen took action to protect giant sea turtles in the Yemeni governorate of Al-Mahra from humans eating their meat and eggs, dogs chasing their young, and smugglers selecting species to sell at a low price outside the country.
Among them is Hafeez Kalshat, who took upon himself the task of protecting endangered turtles. He says that the reason behind his volunteer work in protecting turtles as they leave the sea to the coast to lay their eggs is that they are “unable to defend themselves.”
The fisherman, who has become known in his area as a volunteer environmental monitor, and who has been undertaking this task since 2012, said in an interview with the Arab World News Agency, “Once sea turtles are turned over on their shells, they remain as they are until the birds peck out their eyes and the heat of the sun kills them.”
Kalshat, who has been fishing since childhood, wanders with his small wooden boat in the sea and the beaches near his home in the Mahifif area, southwest of the city of Al-Ghaydah, the capital of Al-Mahra Governorate, and monitors the whereabouts of turtles on the region’s coast, which extends for a distance of 18 kilometers from the time they emerge from the sea after sunset until She returns to him at sunrise.
He points out that he protects turtles from humans who slaughter them and eat their meat, fishermen who sell them, and dogs that compete to eat small turtles. He also works to protect them from nets or any objects that obstruct their path from human waste on the beach.
Kalshat says that the appropriate time for turtles to go out to land comes with the onset of darkness, as they crawl slowly for short distances on the soft sand of the beach, and work to create holes of varying depths in areas on the coast that they carefully choose to lay their eggs, which amount to about 200 eggs, then bury them and return to the sea. Pointing out that turtles lay their eggs twice every year.
Green turtles are the most common species on the beaches of Al Mahra, but other species are found in smaller quantities, including the loggerhead, hawksbill, and olive turtles. Turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of Al-Mahra during the period from June to October.
The largest green turtle found in the world was 152 centimeters long and weighed 395 kilograms, but the weight of this type of turtle usually ranges between 110 and 190 kilograms and its length ranges between 83 and 114 centimetres.
Kalshat works to protect turtles in areas witnessing urban expansion by investors, and he said that he does not receive any support or support from any party.
The Yemeni fisherman called on the authorities concerned with environmental protection in Al-Mahra to declare the Turtle Coast a natural reserve, and to provide it with permanent protection from human attacks.
The Al-Mahra Governor’s Advisor for Environmental Affairs considers the settlement of turtles to the coasts of Al-Mahra important “because turtles are an environmental wealth that maintains environmental balance, preserves the purity of the sea, and feeds on aquatic plankton. Moreover, their reserves represent distinct tourism areas, and they also represent a reserve food stock for use during… Big crises.
He told the Arab World News Agency that, in light of the government’s neglect of protecting turtles, a culture has emerged among many young people, like Kalshat, who work voluntarily to protect turtles in areas near them without receiving any support or assistance from the authorities.
Turtles have inhabited the coast of Al-Mahra for many years, and migrate to various areas in the sea throughout the year, then return to Al-Mahra to nest and lay their eggs, as the region’s coast provides moist sand that helps the turtles dig and bury their eggs.
On the brink of extinction
For her part, Iman Baomar, Director of the Office of the Ministry of Water and Environment in Al-Mahra Governorate, said in an interview with the Arab World News Agency that global warming is increasingly affecting the terrestrial and marine environment, which has increased the importance of protecting the environment in the governorate, which suffers from human neglect and destruction.
Iman warned that turtles are on the verge of extinction due to overfishing and the lack of government support and funding to provide permanent protection for turtle reserves.
According to the government official, construction work on parks in the turtle reserve in the Al-Dummar area led to the destruction of turtle nesting areas.
She described the volunteer efforts made by young people like Kalshat as simple and insufficient solutions.
Iman pointed out that urban sprawl in Al-Mahra, which is witnessing urban expansion day after day, has come at the expense of the marine environment and threatens its survival, especially in the Turtle Reserve and Hawf Reserve.
The government official believes that her hands are tied, saying that the role of the Water and Environment Office in Al-Mahra is only a supervisory role.
She added, “The offices of the General Authority for Environmental Protection have removed the role of the offices of the Ministry of Water and Environment, but they are not fulfilling their duty to protect the environment, especially in Al-Mahra.”
