Tamil Nadu to set up Conservation Center at Point Calimere after over 1000 dead sea turtles washed ashore along East Coast

Chennai: After over 1,000 Olive Ridley Turtles washed ashore along the East Coast from Chennai to Kanchipuram, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to set up an Integrated Biodiversity Conservation Center (IBCC) in Point Calimere or Kodiyakarai that will spearhead outreach related to Olive Ridley Turtle in particular.

The Integrated Biodiversity Conservation Center (IBCC) will also highlight the ecological importance of unique coastal grasslands of Kodiyakarai, which supports one of the largest southern populations of the endangered Indian Blackbuck and provide information related to the distribution, characteristics, and threats faced by the animal.

The mass death of Olive Ridley turtles, which form an essential part of the ecosystem in the ocean, in January triggered a major cause of concern with environmentalists seeking urgent action from the state government.

The IBCC will be dedicated to understand, conserve and improve the phenomenon of bird migration besides taking up identification, monitoring and management of mudflats of Point Calimere Wetland in a scientific manner.

“The centre will provide education and outreach related to sea turtles in general and Olive Ridley Turtle in particular and also serve as the nodal centre for research and conservation activities related to sea turtles,” a senior official said.

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.

Experts said carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles are found on the shores during their mating season but raised an alarm over the exponential increase in their numbers 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.

The official added that the new centre will be equipped with infrastructure to do satellite telemetry for sea turtles as well as birds. Satellite telemetry is a very efficient tool for monitoring the long distance migratory species such as birds and sea turtles.

“The Integrated Biodiversity Conservation Centre will serve as a nodal centre to carry out satellite telemetry as well as bird ringing in the entire state,” he added.