Chennai: Concern over hundreds of dead Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said it has stepped up measures to conserve Olive Ridley turtles amidst reports of several hundreds of sea turtles being washed ashore dead along the Chennai coastline for the past few days, causing concern to environmentalists.

Olive Ridley turtles nesting in coastal areas will be monitored and protected, the government said, and warned fishermen of stringent action if they were found using trawl nets within five nautical miles (9.26 km) in the coastal areas of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari districts.

Fishing with trawl nets has already been banned within five nautical miles from the coast and during the nesting season, trawl nets should not be used without the installation of a turtle expulsion device (TED), an official release in Chennai said.

"Strict action will be taken under the Tamil Nadu Marine Fisheries Regulation Act, 1983, against any violation. Fishermen have been advised not to switch off GPS devices at some locations while fishing or operating at sea," the release warned.

A special task force has been formed with representatives from the Indian Coast Guard, fisheries and forest departments, Marine Fisheries Regulatory Division, and the Tamil Nadu Coast Guard under the principal chief conservator of forests to exchange information on sea turtle movement/breeding and ensure conducive atmosphere for the sea turtles to breed.

Further, a joint patrol team was monitoring the movement of boats/ships in the sea areas, and it would take appropriate action on any violations, the release added.

"Long-term prospective studies on turtle movement in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu will be carried out to gather systematic scientific data on sea turtle movement and local migration," the release said.

The annual turtle nesting season starts in November and continues until March. The carcasses of at least 60 turtles were found on Kovalam beach recently. As per a preliminary estimate, about 500 turtles were found dead from Neelankarai to Uthandi and Alamparaikuppam, and around 400 between Marina and Besant Nagar beaches.

"At least 1,000 turtles have been washed ashore dead in the past few days and this is very disturbing," a forest department official said.

Though the exact cause of death was being probed, it was suspected that trawl nets used by some fishing vessels could have caused their deaths. The state fisheries department has initiated steps to monitor the operation of trawlers in Kasimedu in Chennai and other coastal areas to identify the cause of deaths and take appropriate action on violators.

On 21 January, chief secretary N. Muruganandam chaired a high-level meeting to address the issue of the alarming number of deaths of sea turtles along Chennai's coastline. Officials from the forest department, fisheries, and the Indian Coast Guard took part in the meeting which decided to step up vigil and intensify efforts to conserve the sea turtles.

The meeting decided to withdraw diesel subsidy and other benefits/welfare schemes to ships/boats that do not follow the rules.

An environmentalist said an analysis of the carcasses indicated signs of drowning. "The popped eyes and bulged necks indicate that they have died due to drowning," he said.

"The Olive Ridley turtle population is facing a critical threat. The combination of habitat destruction and accidental entanglement in fishing nets has led to a drastic decline in their numbers," The Tree Foundation representative Supraja Dharini said.

Meanwhile, Garuda Aerospace said it was partnering with the Tree Foundation and the departments of forest and fisheries to deploy drones for surveillance along the city's coastline to protect the endangered turtles.

"We are deeply concerned by the recent mass deaths of Olive Ridley turtles. The plight of the turtles demands immediate action and long-term solutions. By deploying our drones free of charge for the next three months, we are directly intervening to protect the nesting sites, deter illegal fishing, and give these hatchlings a chance at survival," Garuda Aerospace CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said.

During 2023-24, the forest department, in collaboration with volunteers and NGOs, collected 2,58,907 turtle eggs, set up hatcheries and protected them, and returned 2,15,778 turtle hatchlings to the sea.

"This year too, sea turtle eggs are being collected in 14 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu through 52 hatcheries. Steps have been taken to increase the number of daily night patrols conducted by the Forest Department in the turtle nesting areas and provide immediate information on turtle movements/deaths," the release said.

Efforts were also on to sensitise the local population besides involve the civic bodies in the conservation efforts, it added.