On an average, conservation volunteers are finding at least 10 dead Olive Ridley sea turtles a day. The high rate of mortality has alarmed activists and conservationists, who have appealed to various authorities, including the Fisheries Department, hoping that action would be taken to safeguard the species.

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Chennai:

Nishanth Ravi, animal rescuer and turtle conservationist, told DTNext that their team has encountered 195 dead turtles since January 1 this year. The nesting season for the endangered species, when they come to shores to lay the eggs, spans from January to April every year.  

Last season, there were 217 turtle deaths. “This time though, there are around 10 dead turtles being washed ashore daily, that too just in a 14 km stretch that we patrol. These numbers are higher than ever,” Ravi said. On an average, around 18,000 hatchlings are released into the sea. 

“Only one in a thousand hatchling survive. If you look at this number and consider this year deaths, it is a cause for extreme concern,” he said. 

Ravi said that they have in formed the Forest Department and the Fisheries Department, in the hope that action would be taken. Most of the fatalities have been caused by interaction with trawler boats. 

Apart from trawling, gill nets have been identified as another cause for turtle mortality. “Gill net fishing is fatal for them,” said Shravan Krishnan, another activist. 

“In Orissa, I once spotted nearly 400 dead turtles removed from a single gill net. To drive away the turtles from danger, we need to ensure that these nets are attached with LED lights, which really don’t cost much,” he said, adding that this measure could lead to a significant reduction in the mortality rate.

TELLING NUMBERS

• On an average, 10 dead turtles are washed ashore daily 
• Since January this year, the mortality rate has touched 195
• Contact with fishing trawlers and plastic pollution are major reasons 
• 217 turtle deaths were reported during Jan- April last year