Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened aquatic animals turn up at Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth for mass nesting, otherwise called arribada.
Olive Ridley turtles. (Photo: SNS/file)
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought for the conservation of Olive ridley turtles along the Odisha coast through collective initiative.
“Let us welcome Olive Ridley turtles as they arrive in large numbers for the annual arribada along the Odisha coast. Urge everyone to make collective efforts to protect nesting habitats and conserve the endangered species”, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated on Thursday in the twitter handle.
Around 1.50 lakh Olive Ridley turtles have so far turned up at the Gahirmatha beach for mass nesting that commenced last week.
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The beach, widely regarded as World’s largest rookery of Olive Ridley Sea turtles, had played host to 4.50 lakh turtles for mass nesting last year.
Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened aquatic animals turn up at Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth for mass nesting, otherwise called arribada.
It’s pertinent to note here that Orissa High Court had recently set up a panel to study the mortality of turtles. The report suggested examining the feasibility of fitting transponders on trawlers and fishing vessels.
“The turtle nesting beach of Gahirmatha should be fenced to protect the turtles from predators,” the court said, adding that no-fishing zones should also be demarcated.
The state government should initiate discussions with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the feasibility of installing transponders in all the mechanised fishing vessels to track their movement in the sea, it said. The state government was asked to submit a report on the implementation of the court”s directions before the next hearing on the matter on April 29.
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