Over the past few days, thousands of Olive Ridley turtles, a protected species, have been getting washed ashore dead along Chennai’s coastline, causing concerns among the environmentalists and the Tamil Nadu government. The state government on Monday said that it has stepped up measures to conserve the Olive Ridley turtles.
The Olive Ridley turtle nesting in the 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.
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.
Thousands of turtle carcasses washed ashore
The carcasses of at least 60 turtles were found on the 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 over 1,000 turtles have been washed ashore dead since the past few days and this is very disturbing," a forest department official said.
Why are Olive Ridley turtles dying?
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.
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," says The Tree Foundation representative Supraja Dharini.
During 2023-2024, 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.
(With PTI inputs)