An olive ridley sea turtle was found dead along the shoreline of Purok 6, Barangay San Miguel in Linapacan, Palawan, with authorities suspecting it may have ingested marine debris, according to a report from environmental and law enforcement agencies.
A joint team from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS)–DMD Calamian, CENRO Coron, and the Philippine National Police confirmed that the turtle had “kamamatay lamang,” based on their assessment.
The turtle measured approximately 78 centimeters in length and 88 centimeters in width.
“Sa pagsusuri ay napansing malnourished at puno ng barnacle encrustations ang katawan ng buhay-ilang at posibleng nakalunok ng plastic o iba pang unidentified marine debris—isa sa pinakamalaking suliraning kinahaharap ng mga buhay-ilang sa karagatan,” the report said.
Authorities said the carcass was properly disposed of following standard safety procedures after the examination.
The PCSDS warned that olive ridley sea turtles continue to face serious threats due to worsening ocean conditions, habitat destruction, and human activities.
“Patuloy na nagpapaalala ang PCSD sa publiko na maging responsable sa pangangasiwa at pagtatapon ng mga kalat upang maiwasan ang pinsala sa ating karagatan at sa mga buhay-ilang,” it said.
The agency also urged the public to report any environmental law violations to the PCSDS Enforcement Team.
