25,000 turtle eggs secured in one month

Sindh Wildlife Dept hails it as historic rise in green turtle nesting along Karachi coast

KARACHI:

A remarkable and highly encouraging development has been recorded along Pakistan's coastline this year, as the Sindh Wildlife Department has collected nearly 25,000 green turtle eggs from Karachi's beaches within just one month — a number previously achieved only over the course of an entire breeding season. The eggs have been safely relocated to protected hatcheries for incubation as part of the department's conservation efforts. The nesting season for green turtles typically spans from August to February.

According to Ashfaq Memon, In-charge Marine Turtles at Hawke's Bay, the department has set an ambitious target of safeguarding 50,000 eggs for the 2025-26 season, indicating a renewed hope for the species' sustainability in Pakistan. He told Express News that this year's nesting activity has been "surprising and highly positive," as female green turtles are arriving at Sandspit and Hawke's Bay in record numbers to lay eggs.

He said wildlife teams remain deployed round the clock at designated nesting zones to protect the animals from bright lights, human disturbance and noise pollution, creating a safe environment that allows the females to dig nesting pits and lay eggs. The process can continue for several hours, requiring patience and continuous monitoring.

Memon confirmed that around 350 hatchlings have already emerged and were released into the sea to begin their life cycle. He added that Pakistan is one of only 11 countries in the world where female turtles return to coastal areas for nesting — a reflection of the region's ecological significance.

Once abundant, Pakistan's coastline supported seven species of sea turtles until the year 2000 across Sindh and Balochistan. However, marine pollution, commercial activity and irresponsible tourism have reduced that number drastically to just two species today. Among them, the Olive Ridley turtle is now near extinction locally — no live female has been seen nesting in Karachi since 2010, although some dead specimens have occasionally washed ashore.

Since 1975, the Sindh Wildlife Department has released around 900,000 turtle hatchlings into the Arabian Sea under its conservation programme. Green turtles, believed to date back to the dinosaur era, can live up to 70 years or more. Each female lays 120-170 eggs at a time, nesting mainly at Karachi's Sandspit and Paradise Point, as well as coastal sites in Balochistan including Gwadar, Ormara, Pasni and Jiwani. Despite rising nesting numbers, survival challenges remain severe. IUCN estimates show that only 0.1% of hatchlings reach adulthood, urging stronger conservation efforts.