Around 120 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings, which were conserved by local fishermen along the shore near Kasarkod Tonka in Honnavar taluk, were released into the sea on Sunday.
The eggs of these Olive Ridley turtles had been found while the local people were protesting against the under-construction commercial port at Tonka. The protesters had argued that the Tonka seashore was a sensitive zone where the rare Olive Ridley turtles breed, and constructing a port there would disturb the marine bio-diversity.
"Since there were no turtle hatcheries in Kasarkod like the one set up in Haladipur and other places by the Forest Department, some local people had sought permission for conserving these eggs. On Sunday, these hatchlings emerged from their eggs and as per information, some 120 turtles were released into the sea," said Range Forest Officials Sharat Shetty.