India, Feb. 13 -- Carcasses of over 1,300 endangered olive ridley turtles have been discovered along the coast of Chennai and Chengalpattu districts in Tamil Nadu in the past three weeks, and the continuing deaths highlight the prevalence of harmful fishing practices, such as bottom trawling and gill nets, along the southern edge of the Bay of Bengal coast, conservationists said on Wednesday.

Though the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act of 1983 stated that trawl boats must operate at least five nautical miles (approximately 9.26 km) from the shore, reserving the exempted zone for artisanal fishermen who use smaller boats, commercial fishing companies continue to violate these regulations. "Although the state government has establi...