News Highlights:
This year, Rushikulya shore in Odisha’s Ganjam district saw a record-breaking 6.37 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive to mass nest there, breaking the previous high.
Olive Ridley Turtles:
- About:
- The olive ridley sea turtle, also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae.
- The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
- These carnivorous turtles derive their name from their olive-coloured carapace.
- They are most recognised for their remarkable mass nesting behaviour known as Arribada.
- In addition, thousands of females congregate on the same beach to lay eggs.
- Habitat:
- The olive ridley turtle has a circumtropical distribution, living in tropical and warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans from India, Arabia, Japan, and Micronesia south to southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
- The Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha is home to the world’s largest sea turtle rookery.
- Nesting grounds:
- The major nesting sites for Olive Ridley Turtles in India are Rushikulya rookery coast (Odisha), the mouth of the Debi River, Gahirmatha beach (Bhitarkanika National Park)
- Olive Ridley Turtles choose the right kind of nesting beaches around the river mouths. The Odisha coast has the right kind of beaches, the deltaic areas with sand pits on this coast are perfect for turtles’ nesting sites.
- Olive Ridley Turtles seek a certain latitude for nesting. A beach at a latitude of around 25 degrees is suitable for these turtles.
- After hatching, the turtles leave their eggs and swim away.
Threats on Olive Ridley Turtles:
- Human Consumption:
- They are poached extensively for their meat, shell, leather, and eggs.
- Human threats far outweigh natural threats to sea turtles.
- Marine pollution and waste:
- The ever-increasing debris of plastics, fishing nets, discarded nets, polythene and other garbage dumped by tourists and fishing workers threatens all sea turtles and degrades their habitats.
- Entanglement and ingestion of marine debris are listed as major threats to this species.
- Fishing Trawlers:
- Mortality associated with boat collisions and incidental takes in fisheries is a major threat to Olive Ridley Turtles.
- Overexploitation of marine resources by the use of trawlers often violates the rule to not fish 20 kilometres within a marine sanctuary.
- There were injury marks on many dead turtles indicating they could have been trapped under trawls or gill nets.
Initiatives to Protect Olive Ridley Turtle:
- Operation Olivia:
- Operative Olivia is a project by the Indian Coast Guard.
- It began for the protection of Olive Ridley Turtles as they come to the Odisha coast for nesting and breeding.
- Every year, “Operation Olivia” is carried out from November to December.
- Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs):
- To reduce the accidental killing in India, the Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs).
- Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) is a net designed with an exit cover that would allow the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.
- Odisha Government Initiatives:
- In Odisha, 50% of the total world population of Olive Ridley Turtles can be seen, and almost 90% of the Indian population of sea turtles.
- To protect the Olive Ridley Turtles, Odisha Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (OMFRA) 1982 and Odisha Marine Fisheries Regulation Rules, 1983 have announced that fishing won’t be allowed in the coastal water off Devi and Rushikulya Rocket during the breeding season.
- Tagging of the endangered turtles:
- The tagging of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles using non-corrosive metal tags is done to enable scientists to chart their movements and also know the areas they visit in order to protect the species and their habitats.
Pic Courtesy: Pixabay
Content Source: The Hindu