Over 1,000 Olive Ridley turtles wash ashore dead in Tamil Nadu coast

Chennai: Olive Ridley turtles, which form an essential part of the ecosystem in the ocean, arrive in batches for nesting on the beaches of Tamil Nadu during the breeding season (December to March) every year. However, this year, the shores along the East Coast from Chennai to Kanchipuram saw over 1,000 olive ridley turtles washing ashore dead, in a major cause of concern with environmentalists seeking urgent action from the state government.

The key reason for the large number of deaths of the Olive Ridley turtles is the rampant use of trawlers by fishermen within the prohibited five nautical miles from the shore during the nesting season and the vessels not possessing turtle expulsion devices (TED).

Bottom trawlers that scrap through the sea bed while looking for fish is an ecologically destructive practice that has been banned in many countries but is in practice in India. The use of bottom trawlers is one of the major reasons why Indian fishermen get arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for entering into its waters as the fishing equipment is banned there.

Experts told DH that carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles are generally found on the shores during their mating season but raised an alarm over the exponential increase in the number of their deaths this year. They also said the availability of fish near the turtle gathering areas could be the reason for them coming under the impact of the trawlers, as a result of which they were washed ashore dead.

Female and male Olive Ridley turtles come close to the coast for mating but it is the former that comes to the shore to nest.

Dr V Deepak Samuel V, Scientist, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai, told DH that it is the female Olive Ridley turtles that come to the coast during mating and nesting periods. “I have never seen so many deaths of Olive Ridley turtles in Chennai. These aquatic reptiles, unlike fish, cannot breathe underwater and have to come to the surface to breathe. They get entangled in the fishing nets and are drowned,” Samuel said.

The expert said trawlers fishing very close to the shore is the primary reason for the “huge number of deaths” of Olive Ridley turtles this season.

After the outrage, the Tamil Nadu government stepped in on Monday to contain the damage by warning fishermen of action if they used trawl nets for fishing within five nautical miles of the shore. The government also told the fishermen that they won’t be eligible for diesel subsidy and other welfare schemes if their boats broke the rules.

Antony Clement Rubin, member, State Board for Wildlife, Tamil Nadu said Olive Ridley turtles are critical for marine ecosystem and losing over 1,000 of them within a span of a few weeks will have long-lasting adverse impact. The nesting so far has also been poor compared to previous years.

“Turtle Excluder Devices (TED), which were made mandatory by the Tamil Nadu government way back in 2017 but remained only on paper, should be fixed to the trawl nets to ensure turtles don't fall victim. Olive Ridleys must be protected as only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survive, attain adulthood and come back to the coast for nesting,” he told DH.

Samuel said the government should ensure installation of TEDs, which are found to be effective in saving the species, though fishermen are reluctant to keep them on their trawlers as they believe it also sends away large fishes.

“There may be some losses but such practices are necessary to save the environment,” he said, adding that a complete ban on fishing along the coast can be imposed during the breeding season like done in Odisha to save Olive Ridley turtles. “But the total fishing ban has to be scientifically studied first to understand the impact on livelihoods,” Samuel added.

While pushing for strict monitoring by a joint team of officials from the fisheries department, coast guard, and coastal security group and creating awareness among fishermen, Rubin also advocated for keeping the beaches free from garbage and overgrowth of creepers, which also deter the nesting mothers from building the nest and lay eggs.