Eleven new Olive Ridley sea turtle nests found between Marina beach and Kovalam

One of the two Olive Ridley sea turtles that came ashore at Marina beach on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In a positive turn of events following a series of Olive Ridley sea turtle carcasses washing ashore on the coasts of Chennai and Chengalpattu, several new nests have been found in the past two days. Eleven new nests were discovered between Marina beach and Kovalam, which is particularly significant given that very few nests have been located so far this season.

On Sunday, two turtles came ashore at Marina beach for nesting. Manish Meena, Wildlife Warden of Chennai, who was present at the time along with Forest Department staff and volunteers from the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), said, “This gives us hope that things will improve.”

Since January, over 1,200 Olive Ridley carcasses were found washed ashore on the coast. The number of carcasses found has slightly decreased. Experts believe that the turtles may have accidentally become caught in trawl nets while congregating at sea.

R. Suresh Kumar, a wildlife biologist at the Wildlife Institute of India, says turtles do not simply travel to nesting beaches, lay eggs, and return. Instead, they tend to congregate in specific areas, and he suggests that certain fishing practices in these aggregation zones may be a key factor behind the rise in turtle deaths this year.

“This year, certain fishing practices in turtle congregation spots may be a primary reason,” Mr. Suresh said, recalling his own research during his Ph.D in Odisha, where he discovered that turtles often gather at particular locations, though the exact spots remain unknown.

Turtles rescued

Further, a joint patrol by the Forest Department, Fisheries Department, Marine Police, and the Indian Coast Guard intercepted a trawler near Ennore with 16 turtles caught in its net. The trawler was located within 5 nautical miles off the shore. “Luckily, the turtles were alive,” Mr. Meena said.

After an inspection, the turtles were safely released, and the boat was booked under the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1983, and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.