Mating of Olive Ridley turtles begins in Odisha, security beefed up

Berhampur (Odisha): The mating season of Olive Ridley turtles has begun near Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district, as the administration increased patrolling to keep away poachers, an official said.

Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokkar said that many pairs of turtles were seen in the area, and mating might pick up in the last week of December.

Nesting of turtles usually takes place for 45 days after mating, he said.

After mating, female turtles lay eggs by digging pits in the sand and return to the sea, with the hatchlings emerging 45-50 days later.

"We hope Olive Ridley turtles turn up in large numbers this year as well. Mass nesting is expected to take place in the third week of February," the DFO said.

Last year, a record number of over 9.04 lakh turtles had laid eggs in around a seven-km-long beach stretch from Bateswar to Gokharakuda in two phases of the mass nesting.

As many as 6,98,698 turtles had laid eggs from February 16-23 in the first phase, while 2.05 lakh turtles laid eggs in the second phase from March 16 to 23, sources said.

Meanwhile, patrolling has been intensified in the sea for protecting the mating Olive ridley turtles from poachers, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Khallikote range, Dibya Shankar Behera, said.

During patrolling, two mechanised fishing trawlers from Andhra Pradesh have been seized for illegal fishing in the area, he said.

The government has banned fishing by the mechanised trawlers within 20 km from the coast from November 1 to May 31 as the turtles congregate for mass nesting during the period.

The forest department has also held a coordination meeting with fishermen, seeking their cooperation during the mating, nesting and hatching people in the Rushikulya River rookery. The fishermen demanded the doubling of compensation from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 during the fishing ban period.