Mangalore/Puttur, May 25: It has been reported two days before that there were rumours of fishermen from Gulbarga and Tharikere are coming and catching special kind of tortoises called “Paalevu Aame in Tulu language” in madatharu of Netravati River in Biliyoor village, near Uppinangadi in a large scale.
Even Shakuntala Shetty, MLA from Puttur constituency did come to know about the catching of tortoise. Some of the dailies even reported about the arrest of fishermen and subsequent release by the police.
Sources said this particular type of tortoises (Paalevu Aame in tulu) weighing approximately 25 kg lives at the bottom of the river.
It has been reported that as the shells of this special type of tortoises are more in demand in foreign countries, the fishermen from other parts of the districts are coming here to catch the tortoises using ferry boats after obtaining necessary permission from the concerned officials. It is reported that main business of this fishermen is to hunt for these tortoises.
It has also been reported that in Madatharu River, these tortoises are being caught by using fish-hook, killed and flesh is being sold. In order to prove this claim, the locals brought the pieces of mutton, which has been displayed for sale and shown to media journalists along with pictures.
After having understood the fact that these tortoises are being killed for the sake of their Shells, Shakuntala Shetty, MLA from Puttur constituency reported the matter to police higher authorities of dakshina Kannada district to act.
As per the instruction of police higher authorities, police have arrested these fishermen and released them without being questioned and asked them to vacate the area. The fishermen told the police that they are catching tortoises.
Locals have been asked by Shakuntala Shetty to submit all the related documents pertaining police inaction and presence of large scale tortoises in the river and promised them a thorough investigation in this regard.
