The olive ridley nesting season began in the coastal delta region of Tamil Nadu on Friday. The state forest department workers collected 2,000 eggs of Olive Ridley sea turtles from Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam districts of the state till now. The collected eggs have also been preserved in hatcheries.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated Olive Ridley turtles as a vulnerable species, citing a high mortality rate resulting from human intervention. In the Sirkazhi range, 1,500 eggs were gathered, along with 200 in the Nagapattinam range and 600 in the Vedaranyam range, according to Tamil Nadu forest officials. They attributed the delayed arrival of Olive Ridley turtles on the shore to rough sea conditions. In response, officials said they plan to increase the deployment of seasonal watchers to collect and safeguard the eggs in hatcheries, according to a report on IANS.
R.Velusamy, environmental activist and coordinator, Environment Watch, an NGO based out of Mayiladuthurai told IANS, “The state of Tamil Nadu has been sincerely supporting the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles and we are spreading awareness among the people of the state on the necessity to conserve this vulnerable species.”
Last year, when the Olive Ridley turtle season in the state ended, the forest department achieved a milestone by releasing over 1.83 lakh hatchlings into the sea, marking the highest number ever released from the Tamil Nadu coast.
The state forest department established 35 hatcheries throughout the region and successfully gathered over 2.16 lakh eggs. Among these, a total of 1,83,497 eggs were successfully hatched and subsequently released into the sea.
In comparison, during the 2016-17 season, only 74,196 hatchlings were released. However, in the more recent 2021-2022 season, a remarkable increase was observed, with the collection and release of 1.72 lakh hatchlings, showcasing a significant improvement in conservation efforts.