Ghost nets entangling turtles, marine life in Lanka's waters

In Sri Lankan waters, there's a growing problem of ghost nets that are entangling sea turtles, fish, dolphins and seabirds, reports Mongabay.

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Two Olive Ridley turtles caught in discarded fishing nets.

(Image courtesy of Mongabay)

"Ghost nets" are fishing gear that have either been abandoned, lost or discarded into the sea. As these drift with the ocean currents, they continue to trap marine animals - or "ghost fish."

"These lost fishing gear kill scores of marine species and remains a specific problem for marine turtles," said Thushan Kapurusinghe, project lead of the Turtle Conservation Project of Sri Lanka.

Charith Dilshan, project manager of the Galbokka Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center in Kosgoda, southern Sri Lanka, told Rodrigo they find at least 30 turtles entangled in ghost nets along their stretch of beach each year.