VOA新闻杂志2025--In India, Sudden Sea Turtle Deaths Cause Concern

In India, Sudden Sea Turtle Deaths Cause Concern

Over 400 dead sea turtles have been found on India's east coast near the city of Chennai in the last two weeks. Those numbers have not been seen in more than 20 years.

The species¹ of turtle is known as olive² ridley. The animals travel thousands of kilometers for ideal³ places to lay their eggs along India's coast. But that process, called nesting, has become more difficult because undisturbed beaches are becoming harder to find around the world. And, mass deaths like these can be caused by fishing nets that can catch and harm the species.

Shravan Krishnan is a volunteer with Chennai-based Students Sea Turtles Conservation Network. He told The Associated Press that in a usual year, there are between 100 to 200 adult turtle deaths on the city's coast. "This year, we've already crossed 200 dead turtles in a little more than two weeks," he said.

Krishnan is also concerned about the low number of turtles nesting on shore. He and other conservationists walk along the city's beaches at night to collect and move turtle nests. They do so to prevent the eggs from being eaten by dogs or damaged by people walking along the coast. "We have found only four nests so far, which is also really worrying," Krishnan said.

Highest turtle deaths in the last twenty years

Environmentalists and forest department officials have been seeing at least ten dead turtles every day for the past few days, sometimes many more. That is the highest number officials have seen since 2014. Experts say the deaths are most likely caused by large fishing nets that are pulled along the ocean floor.

Manish Meena is in charge of the city's wildlife. He said groups have been actively⁴ trying to inform people involved in fishing to release⁵ turtles that might get caught in nets. They have also asked the coast guard to watch for illegal fishing activity.

Fishing boats using giant nets that catch everything on the ocean floor are barred by a local government order from operating within five nautical⁶ miles of the coastline during the turtle nesting season. The law also requires the use of devices⁸ that can help turtles escape nets.

Shantanu Kalambi is an ocean animal specialist with the conservation organization ReefWatch. He said that when the turtles get caught in nets, they are unable to come up to the surface for air. And environmentalists say the crews of fishing boats do not always use the devices to help turtles escape, since they reduce how many fish they can catch.

A number of threats

Olive ridley turtles are considered an endangered species. Just like most sea turtles, their eggs need two months to hatch⁹. This places them at higher risk because of coastal¹⁰ land activity, warmer temperatures and pollution from light.

Farther¹¹ up India's east coast, over 500,000 turtles nest every year. But only one in about 1,000 turtle babies that hatch survives to adulthood¹².

Experts say the turtles are important to the balance of the ocean ecosystem¹³.

"As a species, they are millions of years old and they play an essential role in the food chain," Kalambi said.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Sibi Arasu reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning¹⁴ English.

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Words in This Story

species -n. biology. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

net – n. a device⁷ that is used for catching¹⁵ or holding things or for keeping things out of a space and that is made of pieces of string, rope, wire, etc., woven together with spaces in between

conservation – n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

nautical mile – n. a unit of distance equal to 1,852 meters that is used for sea and air travel

hatch – v. of a bird, insect, fish. to come out of an egg : to be born by coming out of an egg

ecosystem – n. everything that exists in a particular environment

essential – adj. necessary

1 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

2 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

3 ideal   

adj.理想的，完美的；空想的，观念的；n.理想

参考例句：

• The weather at the seaside was ideal—bright and breezy.海边的天气最宜人，风和日丽的。
• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever. 他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。

4 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

5 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

6 nautical   

adj.海上的，航海的，船员的

参考例句：

• A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
• It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。

7 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

8 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

9 hatch   

n.孵化，舱口；vt.孵，孵出，策划；vi. 孵化

参考例句：

• No one knows how the new plan will hatch out.谁也不知道这新方案将怎样制订出来。
• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。

10 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

11 farther   

adj.更远的，进一步的；adv.更远的，此外；far的比较级

参考例句：

• I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
• The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。

12 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

13 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

14 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

15 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。