Recently, group of fishermen reportedly released a number of Olive Ridley turtles who had accidentally got caught in fishing nets. The video of the incident that took place along the shores of Benaulim beach in Goa went viral soon after.?
The local fishermen¡¯s gesture came to the notice of Goa¡¯s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who hailed them for their collective effort in rescuing five Olive Ridley turtles, a protected species.?
Last month, many?Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings emerged from their nests in Goa. Olive Ridley turtles are annual visitors on many beaches in Goa including, Morjim, Mandrem, Galgibagh and Agonda. These are a protected species which fall under the Schedule 1 of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.?
Pramod Sawant tweeted that the kind gesture on part of the fishermen was a sign of respect towards the ecosystem, a fact that needed to be lauded.
¡®I am grateful for the kind gesture of my Goan brothers, making our state a better place to live by respecting the nature's ecosystem,¡¯ his tweet read.?
Pele Fernandes and his five-member team were fishing near the beach a few days ago when they spotted turtles entangled in nets. The turtles were set free by using knives and sickles. Four of them were, reportedly, immediately returned to the Arabian Sea but one of them was taken to the state¡¯s Forest Department headquarters in Margao as it had sustained minor injuries.
The fishermen were also honoured by local Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Benaulim assembly constituency Churchill Alemao.?
Also read:?Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Came To Nest On Odisha Beach, Now Crores Of Baby Turtles Are Hatching??
This is how people reacted online:?
The planet definitely needs more people like them.
Also read:?How Indian Coast Guard Saved An Endangered Olive Ridley Turtle Tangled In A Massive Net