How Authorities, Locals And Environmentalists Are Saving Odisha's Olive Ridley Turtles In Odisha
Millions of newly hatched Olive Ridley turtles are making their way into the sea for the first time.
The beaches of Gahirmatha, along the Bay of Bengal coast in Odisha, are teeming with Olive Ridley turtles who have just been hatched and are taking their first baby steps.
Jagyandatt Pati, Divisional Forest Officer, Mangrove Wildlife Division, Rajnagar has been posting videos and photos showing hundreds of thousands of hatchlings on the beach over the past week.
Record nesting this year
The nesting process began in Gahirmatha, the world¡¯s largest rookery for the Olive Ridley sea turtles in late March and hatchlings emerge from the eggs after 40-60 days.
And instinctively the hatchlings head to the waters as soon as they emerge out of the eggs.
2022, was yet another 'successful year', for Olive Ridley turtles conservation, according to authorities.
This year, more than 10 lakh female Olive Ridley had returned to the same beaches where they were born, to lay eggs.
The number was much less last year since no mass nesting had taken place at Rushikulya in 2021. Around 7.30 lakh turtles had turned up for mass nesting in both Gahirmatha and Rushikulya in 2020.
In Rushikulya river mouth alone more than 5.5 lakh mass nesting were reported this year, which is a record.
The previous highest at Rushikulya was 4.82 lakh in 2018.?
Around five lakh marine turtles arrived at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district this year, for over four days since March 25.
The female Olive Ridley turtles dig holes on the beach with their flippers and lay 40-50 eggs in each hole.
The process is called 'arribada' which means arrival.?
The turtles then cover the eggs with sand before returning to the sea.
A threat awaits at every step
And that is where the first challenge starts -- the eggs are easy prey for dogs, hyenas, and even poachers who harvest them illegally to sell.
The nests can also get destroyed by other female Olive Ridley turtles who accidentally dig them up to lay their eggs.
Natural forces can also cause damage to the nesting sites and every year lakhs of eggs get washed away in the high tide.
This year, an estimated over one crore Olive Ridley turtle eggs were destroyed by the severe cyclonic storm ¡®Asani¡¯.?
According to Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Amlan Nayak, this accounts for 15-20% of the total eggs laid this year.
Poaching and egg harvesting
The population of Olive Ridley turtles has been declining over the past few years, and the species is recognised as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.
Other than the destruction of eggs and nests, several other factors have also contributed to their population decline.
The female turtles coming ashore to lay the eggs are vulnerable to dogs that feed on them.
They are also hunted by locals and fishermen for their meat.
Since the beach is covered with turtle nests, fishermen are often restricted to go into the sea during the hatching season, leaving them with no income.
Many fishermen then resort to poaching eggs and turtles to feed their families.
On the beach and on the way to the sea, crabs, birds, and mammals often prey on the eggs and the hatchlings. Once in the water, hatchlings also fall victim to many species of fish.
Many also get tangled in abandoned fishing nets.?
Even if the hatchlings make it to the sea, only one in 1,000 manages to reach adulthood.
Getting locals onboard for turtle conservation?
Over the years, the Forest and Environment departments have been working towards integrating locals into the conservation, by educating them about the need to protect them.
Today many of them have become volunteers who work along with the authorities to find and report nesting sites and ensure that the eggs are safe from predators.
This year the Forest Divisions of Rajnagar and Bhadrak have also deployed 70 forest staff to keep round-the-clock watch.
Since last year, the Odisha government has imposed a seven-month-long prohibition on fishing activities within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi and Rusikulya, apart from the year-round ban on sea fishing at Gahirmatha coast to ensure that the vulnerable species is not affected due to human activity during the nesting season.
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