Nagpur: The conservation attempts by the Maharashtra forests department in cooperation with local NGOs have resulted in growth in the portions of Olive Ridley turtles in several coastal regions of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad.
“By 233 at 2019, the portions of the creature species have climbed to 475 from 2021 in all 3 districts.
This contributed into some turtle hatchlings being introduced into the sea this season (2020-21) in comparison to the previous two decades,” states APCCF Virendra Tiwari, that directs Mangrove Conservation Mobile, Mumbai.
“Olive Ridley turtles nest occasionally about the shores of the 3 districts.
Before there were significant risks to the footprints of the turtles because of poaching, predation of all hatchlings by puppies and other critters ,” he states.
The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the only species which nests along the coast of Maharashtra.
On certain occasions, Green Sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are proven to have stranded on several shores of Maharashtra or have entangled into fishing baits however thirds of those turtles is currently not known from some coastal area in Maharashtra.
“The state forest division in cooperation with local NGO Sahayadri Nisarg Mitra and nearby communities has been functioning since 2002-03 for its conservation of the sea turtles along the shore.
It has created a community of hatcheries to save sea turtles,” says Tiwari.
Since 2006, Peninsula festivals also have been arranged in some cities like Velas and later in Anjarle (Ratnagiri), in which tourists come to observe the launch of their turtle hatchlings back into the sea.
The sea turtle conservation programme has been carried out from the forest department together with the regional communities and NGOs includes finding Olive Ridley turtle nesting sites, excavation and movement of eggs to the hatchery website.
The hatchery is coated with a backyard fencing internet for protecting from predators, flood and flooding.
Then, the turtle hatchlings coming from those nests are introduced safely into the sea from the local beach supervisors.
“Considering that 2018, the Mangrove Mobile and Mangrove Foundation have completed awareness programmes at the coastal areas of Maharashtra for neighborhood shore staff regarding handling the turtle hatchery websites, finding and shifting of turtle plants etc,” says Tiwari.
By 2019-20, the Mangrove Foundation is made provision for those funds whereby the honorarium of their local beach managers has been compensated at Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
The Mangrove Cell as well as the state fisheries division also have begun a joint settlement scheme under which sailors, who discharge marine protected animals like sea turtles, cetaceans which are entangled in their own fishing net by cutting on the internet, are granted financial settlement up to Rs25,000.
“Until currently under the said plot 96 Olive Ridley sea turtles, 52 Green Sea turtles, 3 Hawksbill sea turtles plus a Leatherback sea turtle’ve been rescued and introduced back into the sea by sailors for which reimbursement of Rs 22.50 lakh was awarded to sailors by the Mangrove Foundation,” says Tiwari.
Because 2011, NGO Wildlife Conservation & Animal Welfare Association (WCAWA) along with the forest division (Dahanu) are conducting the turtle transit and treatment facility at Dahanu at Palghar where sea turtles who are hurt or stranded on the shores are treated, rehabilitated, and even when potential discharged back into the sea.