On April 8, 2025, the discovery of approximately 20 sea turtle carcasses in Lafik Village, Jask County, sparked widespread concern among environmental activists and local communities. Following the incident, on April 9, 2025, the Midaf team, in collaboration with the Marine expert at Department of Environment of Hormozgan province, dispatched a team of experts to the site to investigate the cause of this tragic occurrence. However, by the time of the investigation, the team observed only 8 sea turtle carcasses.
During their investigation, the Midaf team examined three areas: the beach at Lafik Village, Jask City Beach, and Abkouhi Village Beach. Unfortunately, sea turtle carcasses were found in all three locations. Local observations indicated that this phenomenon frequently occurs during specific seasons in these areas, raising alarm among local communities and environmental advocates.
Preliminary findings showed that most of the carcasses belonged to immature turtles, with only a few displaying fractures on their carapaces. This suggests the possibility that these valuable creatures were trapped in fishing nets, leading to suffocation. Given the long process of sexual maturity in sea turtles, the death of juveniles not only negatively impacts the current population but also poses a severe threat to their reproductive cycle.
The surveyed areas were located near fishing docks and zones. Discussions with fishermen and field observations revealed that harmful practices such as gillnetting (with net meshes approximately 30 cm) and destructive, illegal trawling are currently in use in the region. These findings highlight significant challenges in managing marine resources. Both gillnetting and trawling can cause devastating impacts on marine ecosystems, including biodiversity loss and damage to sensitive habitats.
Sea turtles inhabiting Iranian waters are classified as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This underscores the critical importance of these creatures and doubles our responsibility to protect them. Urgent actions, such as raising awareness among local communities, regulating human activities, and addressing other potential threats, especially reducing the use of destructive fishing gear, could play a significant role in preventing the recurrence of such incidents.
This incident serves as a somber reminder of the importance of protecting marine species and their crucial role in maintaining the balance of global ecosystems and sustaining the livelihoods of fishing communities. Now is the time to take more decisive measures to protect these invaluable and ancient creatures, which are part of our irreplaceable natural heritage.
