Sporadic nesting of Olive Ridleys starts

KENDRAPARA: Sporadic nesting of endangered Olive Ridleys has started at Gahiramatha beach, the world’s largest rookery of the sea turtles in the district. 
Around 120 turtles have laid eggs in the last three days at Nasi-1 and 2 islands within Gahiramatha marine sanctuary, said forest range officer Sriramapada Arabinda Mishra. As more Olive Ridleys are expected to arrive for nesting, forest officials have been put on high alert to protect the turtles and their eggs on the beach. 

“To protect the eggs from predators like dogs, jackals, wild boars and birds, the Forest department has set up hatcheries on Aagarnasi, Pentha,  Madali and Babubali  beach,” the forest official said. Forest guards are collecting eggs from the pits and putting them in hatcheries which have been covered with plastic nets to prevent entry of any predator, Mishra said. 
The sporadic nesting indicates that mass nesting of the sea turtles is set to start within this month. “We have established 15 turtle protection camps including three offshore ones at Agaranashi, Barunei and Babubali islands,” Mishra said. A record number of  6,64,549  turtles had laid eggs from March 8 to 12 last year on Nasi-1 and 2. 

Officials of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) have also put off the bright lights at the integrated missile testing  range at Abdul Kalam island to facilitate safe arrival of turtles at Gahiramatha. The artificial lightning at the missile testing range near Gahiramatha disorients hatching turtles and adult females in ways that can be deadly, the forest officer added. 

Meanwhile, forest officials have seized 88 fishing vessels and arrested 575 fishermen for illegal fishing in the sanctuary. To protect the endangered marine species, the State Government has banned all types of fishing within 20 km of Gahiramatha marine sanctuary from  November 1, 2018 to May 31 this year.