El Salvador Investigate Mysterious Deaths of Sea Turtles

San Salvador, Jun 10. -Authorities and experts are studying the causes of death of turtles in the Pacific coast of El Salvador, which occurred in the past two months.

The examinations are conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Zoological Foundation of El Salvador.

Autopsies indicate that the turtles did not die due to entanglement in fishing nets or the action of predators, but from poisoning.

The executive director of Zoological Foundation of El Salvador, Alex Hasbun, told reporters that they have to determine whether the poisoning was due to ingestion of poisonous algae or because traces of heavy metals are accumulating in the bottom of the sea.

He said that this occurs in places where turtles usually eat, like the Gulf of Fonseca and Jiquilisco Bay, the newspaper El Diario said.

Hasbun said that due to the lack of adequate laboratory facilities in the country, samples of liver and lung tissues of turtles will be sent to Hawaii to determine the type of poison that killed them. (Prensa Latina)