The Olive Ridley Project is a conservation organisation protecting sea turtles and their habitat in the Indian Ocean. 

In this episode, I speak with Usman Iqbal, the Project Coordinator for the Oliver Ridley Project in Pakistan. With a background in environmentalism and community development, Usman brings technical expertise and knowledge of materials and processes to help the Oliver Ridley Project reduce the impact of ghost gear on sea turtles in the Arabian Sea.  

Ghost gear or ghost nets are commercial fishing nets that have been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea. Every year they are responsible for trapping and killing millions of marine animals including sharks, rays, bony fish, turtles, dolphins, whales, crustaceans, and birds.

Since the Olive Ridley Project was founded in 2013, volunteers have removed more than 1400 ghost nets and recorded 812 trapped turtles: olive ridleys make up 89% of the trapped turtles recorded. 

In this episode, we talk about the plight of turtles in Pakistan and understand how the Olive Ridley Project helps to protect the species. We touch on the effects of climate change, ocean pollution and ways that humans can protect the sea turtle - one of the ocean ecosystem's vital members. 

Usman recounts his day-in-the-life experience of protecting the ocean's turtles. He provides insightful information into the removal of ghost gear and tells of ways that locals are helping to find a home for the discarded materials, including recycling ghost gear to be used in fashion and accessories. 

For more information on the Olive Ridley Project visit https://oliveridleyproject.org/