At least 70 dead turtles have washed ashore on the Cox’s Bazar coast over the past two months, most of them egg-bearing females, according to local officials and researchers. An environment department official, meanwhile, said the toll for 2025 was nearly three times higher than a year earlier.

The deaths coincide with peak nesting season. Most turtles recovered were females carrying eggs, suggesting they died before nesting. Visible injuries indicate many were struck by boat propellers or entangled in fishing nets.

Fishermen blamed collisions with large trawlers and suffocation in nets. “Sometimes their fins are cut off to free them from the nets. They become weak and die after coming ashore,” said Shahjalal, a local fisherman. Another fisherman, Monir Ahmed, said more than 100 dead turtles had been seen floating offshore in the past week.

Mohammad Abdul Kaiyum, a researcher at the Radiant Research and Education Centre, said 60 to 70 dead turtles had been recorded along the coast in the past two months. The highest numbers were found near Sonadia Island, Cox’s Bazar beach, Teknaf and Saint Martin’s Island. Last year, more than 200 carcasses were recovered. “Entanglement in nets during the egg-laying season or severe injuries from trawler strikes are the main causes of death,” he said.

Khondaker Mahmud Pasha, deputy director of the Department of Environment in Cox’s Bazar, called the spike “deeply concerning”. “Marine turtles are vital for maintaining the natural balance of the sea,” he said. “In 2025, the number of turtle deaths has nearly tripled compared to 2024.”

Research by the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) has also pointed to a year-on-year rise in turtle mortality. Conservationists and officials said stricter enforcement, mobile courts and awareness campaigns for fishermen are urgently needed.

Authorities plan to set up several hatcheries in the 2026-27 fiscal year at Sonadia to protect eggs. At least two sites in Dakkhinpara, Pashchimpara and Purbopara have been identified for safe incubation, according to officials. Guard recruitment is also under way.

Researchers said sea turtles help maintain biodiversity by controlling jellyfish and supporting fish stocks, benefiting fishermen. They called for coordinated action, tighter monitoring and greater public awareness to reverse the trend.