Tamil Nadu Forest Department to strengthen coastal patrolling as Olive Ridley carcasses begin washing ashore

With the commencement of the Olive Ridley turtle nesting season, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has enlisted the assistance of the Marine Elite Force from Ramanathapuram, too the recently launched portion successful Chennai, to summation patrolling and intercept trawlers.

The enactment comes aft turtle deaths accrued successful the erstwhile nesting play (December 2024 to March 2025) on the bluish seashore of the State. Hundreds of turtles were recovered washed ashore, apt owing to entanglement successful fishnets.

In response, the authorities introduced a scope of measures to support the turtles. One specified measurement is the Marine Elite Force, a portion launched successful Chennai connected December 18, that specialises successful coastal patrolling, surveillance, and enforcement successful the ecologically delicate marine areas. It volition absorption connected safeguarding endangered marine species, particularly the Olive Ridley turtle.

Since the commencement of December this year, implicit 50 Olive Ridley carcasses person been reported by volunteers of Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network and fishers. A nonmigratory of Injambakkam said helium had spotted astir 7 carcasses successful the 2nd week of December wrong a region of 500 metres.

Acknowledging the deaths, Forest Department Secretary Supriya  Sahu said that this year, steps were being taken overmuch earlier than the erstwhile year. “We are besides bringing successful the Marine Elite Force launched in Ramanathapuram last year. With their experience, they volition beryllium adjuvant successful strengthening patrols,” she said.

Manish Meena, Chennai’s Wildlife Warden, said that though turtle nesting had not yet begun successful full, efforts were being made to conserve eggs successful areas with minimal disturbance. Hatcheries were being established and would soon beryllium acceptable for ex situ conservation of eggs.

Mr. Meena said stakeholders, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Department of Fisheries, the Greater Chennai Police, and the Indian Coast Guard, would enactment unneurotic to instrumentality measures to support the turtles.

According to Ms. Sahu, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation in Vandalur would statesman attaching outer tags to the turtles astatine cardinal and susceptible nesting sites crossed Tamil Nadu, starting from the 2nd week of January.