Turtles killed for their eggs in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll
22 Feb 2010, 8:23 PM
Laura Restrepo Ortega
Two sea turtles have been discovered dead on the beach of Laabadhoo island in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, cut open for their eggs and left to rot on the sand.
Sixty-nine year old Abdulla Saeed from Fares-Maathodaa found the turtles on the beach. The first was found on 4 February. It had been cut open for its eggs. From the size of the maggots found on the corpse, Saeed estimated it had been killed 48 hours earlier.
He found the second turtle on 6 February. Its corpse was still fresh, suggesting it was killed overnight.
Saeed believes the turtles were killed by islanders of Maathoda on Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, and despite the illegality of killing turtles, it is still a relatively common practice in his region.
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