Preparations are almost done at the Rushikulya rookery on the Odisha coast to welcome and protect olive ridley turtles during mass nesting, likely to begin in a week.
Eggs from sporadic nesting that has been going on for the past two months, which were incubated at artificial hatcheries of the forest department, have also started to hatch, said Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer Amlan Nayak.
Sporadic nesting
According to sources, till now around 23 turtles have laid over 2,400 eggs through sporadic nesting.
To provide security to mother turtles as well as the eggs from human and predator intervention, the forest department is erecting an over 5-km-long fence of metal net from Gokharkuda to Bateswar. This stretch is the most preferred location for mass nesting in the Rushikulya rookery.
The forest officials have already completed two to three rounds of awareness drive at all villages near the rookery.
Thousands of mother turtles are waiting in the sea near the coast where fishing in mechanised boats, including trawlers, has been banned. The forest department officials are also patrolling the region in two trawlers, two speed boats and a country boat.
In February, a fishing trawler from Andhra Pradesh was seized as it had illegally entered the restricted zone.
The whole stretch of the nesting beach has been cleaned four times in February.
Debris and plastic waste, like pieces of fishing net, are being removed with the help of locals. There will be regular monitoring of the beach.
Onshore camps
The department has set up 11 onshore camps. Personnel at these camps regularly document beach condition, inform about the debris deposited by the sea, prevent entry of predators like stray dogs and search for turtle carcasses. Officials from all ranges of the department have been mobilised, said Mr. Nayak.