Olive Ridley Turtle Breeding Season Has Started, But Low Nesting In Tamil Nadu Raise Concern

Across coastal India, Olive Ridley turtles have started arriving for their annual nesting and over the past few weeks, nests have been spotted on beaches across several states.

The number of turtle arrivals and nests is expected to increase in the coming days.

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Low nesting in Tamil Nadu so far

But environmentalists in Tamil Nadu have raised concerns over the drop in turtle arrivals on the state's beaches.

According to environmentalists, the nesting season of the Olive Ridley turtles commenced in the first week of January. Still, the arrival of turtles in Chennai and adjoining beaches has decreased drastically.

"The Olive Ridley turtles have to come by this time of the year. The arrivals this season are less as the season of their breeding has commenced in January first week itself," Conservationist Arjun R told IANS.

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"The breeding season has begun but the arrival is less. However, I think that by February end, we can collect the turtle eggs along the coastline," Environmentalist Perivayaran Swaminathan said.

Turtle deaths on the rise

What makes things even worse is that a large number of Olive Ridley turtle carcasses washed ashore and this is due to the turtles' flippers getting entangled in gill nets and trawlers. After getting stuck in the traps, the turtles try to wriggle out but eventually end up drowning.

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Even though there are devices to remove the turtles from the nets, the fishermen don't use them as that would lead to a large catch of fish getting out from the net.

In the Marakkanam area of Viluppuram district alone, more than 30 Olive Ridley turtles had washed ashore dead since late December.

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Rs 6.3 crore for turtle conservation

Last week the Tamil Nadu government sanctioned Rs 6.30 crore to set up a turtle conservation and rehabilitation centre in Chennai, the first such one in the state.

Tamil Nadu's first Turtle Conservation & Rehabilitation centre will come up at Chennai.The State of the Art Centre to be set up at Rs 6.30 Crores shall have integrated facilities & will involve local communities.video-Olive Ridley Rehab with Tree Foundation March 2022 #TNForest pic.twitter.com/6i0Yk8Ku9u

¡ª Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) January 21, 2023

The state-of-the-art centre, which will involve local communities, would have facilities like a turtle pool and shed in addition to medical facilities for rehabilitating rescued turtles. It will provide a temporary home to sick and injured turtles before they return to their natural habitat.

The centre would also serve to create awareness of turtle conservation. The project would be funded by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board from their resources and implemented by the Chief Wildlife Warden.

Conservationists and wildlife experts are planning a major campaign among the fishermen community across the coastal belts of Tamil Nadu to impress on them the necessity of protecting the Olive Ridley turtles.

"We will be conducting a major campaign across the fishermen belt so that they understand the need for protecting these turtles," conservationist Sunil KR told IANS.

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