Troubled waters for Turtles - From Sudarshan Chhotoray

Despite unfavorable climatic conditions and man made obstructions more than 3.5 lakh Olive Ridley Turtles had laid eggs during the current turtle season in Orissa coast, known as the largest breeding and nesting site for the Olive Ridley sea turtles in the world. But due to lack of protection measures, many dead turtles were found here during the current season. The total mortality up to the end of April 2004 is estimated at 7,000 including an estimated 2,500 dead turtles within the Marine Sanctuary of Gahiramatha and Rushikulya.

Turtles who had turned in large numbers this year and had laid eggs during the 1st two weeks of March along the tranquil and serene Gahirmatha, Rushikulya river, Devi and Astaranga river mouth, the known mass nesting sites in Orissa, could face nature's fury following the unseasonal rain and ever intensified heat wave, and for that reason only thousands of Olive Ridley eggs in Orissa coast were washed away by the rain water.

It may be recalled that more than 1,00,000 turtles had laid their eggs on Rushikulya beach, the 2nd largest nesting place of world during the mass nesting which had started on 10th March 2004. Besides this the mass hatching had already been completed at Nasi Islands in Gahiramatha marine sanctuary where nesting by nearly 2,40,000 Turtles had occurred earlier on 2nd March 2004. During the previous year, hatching had commenced in late hours of 25 April after a period of 46 days from the day of nesting, the delay noticed this year at Rushikulya is due to the unseasonal heavy rain lashing the nesting beach area since the last part of March and early April. Rains compact the beach sand and prevent the hatchlings from digging out and emerging.

The hatchlings normally emerge after a period of about 45-55 days depending upon the ambient sand temperature and climatic conditions. In Rushikulya beach this year, the nesting took place over a beach stretch of about 2-3 kms at Gokharkuda village near Rushikulya river mouth. Due to the late nesting at least 70% of the eggs have been lost due to beach erosion caused by strong summer winds and high waves. An Olive Ridley on an average lays about 120-150 eggs from which hatchlings emerge after 40-50 days; how ever these eggs are subject to damage and loss due to natural predators like dogs, jackals, wild boar, hyenas, crows, eagles, gulls and are also subject to being washed away due to beach erosion. Studies have indicated that only one egg out of every 1,000eggs laid ultimately hatches and the hatchling survives to become an adult Olive Ridley sea Turtle.

The hatchlings leave the Orissa coast traveling far with the help of Ocean currents for foraging grounds and return to breed and nest only when they become adults after 7-15 years. This year the bad weather and wet sand at the Rookery played spoil sport and thousands got perished in Rushikulya, Devi and Astaranga and Paradeep areas", says Biswajit Mohanty, coordinator, operation kachhap. He further added; that heat wave and unseasonal rains have not only caused a delay in the hatching process but also destroyed many eggs.

The olive ridley Sea turtles are highly endangered since they face danger at every stage in their lives including natural causes. Only I out of every 1,000 eggs laid ultimately survives to become an adult sea turtle. Turtle hatchlings normally emerge in the evening hours only and move towards the Sea under the cover of darkness. Which ensures that they are safe from predators and the hot sun. Strong Sunlight can dry them up during the day. Turtle hatchlings at Rushikulya beach are also threatened by artificial illumination. Lights from nearby townships of Humma, Ganjam disorients them and makes them travel towards the land instead of the Sea.

Similarly vehicle lights from the nearby National Highway No-5 also cause problem, thousands of hatchlings die every year due to such disorientation, which causes them to move towards the landward side instead of Sea. To prevent such deaths the forest department has put up low level protection nets over a stretch of 3 kms on the landward side to stop the hatchlings from going the wrong way, volunteers of operation kachhap and forest department staff rescue and release them into the Sea. Apart from this due to strict patrols by the coast Guards and forest department at Rushikulya river mouth, there was extremely small causalities here compared to the previous year, says Sabar K Tarai, a turtle watcher at Rushikulya. Mean while Coast Guard had seized 12 fishing Trawlers here in January 2004, which had a huge deterrent effect on illegal fishing by Andhra Pradesh trawlers.

Besides this coastguard ships and Aircraft from Visakhpatnam, Chennai have also been deployed for air and water Surveillance to protect the turtles during the ongoing mass nesting season and for this more than 200 days of patrolling, as many as 50 air sorties have been carried out, about 200 trawlers were apprehended during the operations. In Gahirmath, also due to Sea erosion and human interferences especially, due to the rising population of Bangladeshi refugees ideal turtle habitat is under threat. State forest department is contemplating with an idea to issue identity cards in favor of the originally inhabitants of Bhitarakanika National park, to flush out illegal immigrants who have settled there illegally.

Not only this they have been able to get lease of large tracks of mangrove forests in the name of agriculture, but later converting it to prawn farming; Some of them also adopted fishing occupation for livelihood, which in turn posing trouble for turtles for mass nesting and hatching inside the National park and deep in the Sea shore, feels a senior State Govt's forest official. According to Mr. Lingaraj khadanga, deputy secretary in State forest and environment dept; "for the smooth running of nesting and hatching of rare turtles, We have setup 40 watch centers along the Orissa coast, besides implementing Orissa Maritime fishing regulation act (OMFRA), distributing Teds (Turtle exclusive devices), deploying coast guards and conducting motivation camps with at least 10 NGOS to educate Locals". " But not a single trawler is using TED" reacts Mr. Biswajit Mohanty, a turtle expert, he further added, though, there are more then 3,000 trawlers (including 1000 licensed) trawlers are plying inside Orissa coast.

Due to lack of integrated coastal management and turtle protection mechanism these endangered species are under grave threat; He further clarified state Govt. has virtually failed to implement, OMFRA act, which bans fishing 5 kms off sea coast and checking outside trawlers, besides these, because of under utilization of infrastructure support to purchase patrolling boats and hiring manpower, Orissa has witnessed large scale death of these rare turtles. According to Mr. Mohanty; during the last 11 years more than 1.15lakh turtles have died in Orissa coast; even through Supreme Court had ordered in March 2003 to protect the sea turtles, the state Govt. is dilly-dallying the enforcement. To oversee the implementation of SC order a central committee had also visited Orissa during Feb 2004.

This committee under the chairmanship of Mr. P.V. Jayakrishnan after visiting various Turtle nesting places in the state has recommended to start Turtle project like project Tiger in the state which can better protect the visiting Turtles. The committee also express concern over growing pollution by existing chemical factories and unchecked trawler movement inside Orissa coast, the committee has also asked state Govt. to promulgate ban on licensing trawlers. For the safe protection of nesting and breeding of sea Turtles, along Orissa coast, Indian oil had given Rs. 1 corer to state forest department to buy patrolling boats, but department is holding the money since last 4 years, similarly Govt. of India had sanctioned Rs 1 crore to state fisheries dept. to buy patrolling boats and use of Ted's, But the dept. is yet to spent this money; sources said. The other major treats for Turtles nesting in Orissa are, Reliance Company's two proposed off shore oil drilling and exploration project inside Bay of Bengal, one is 90 kms off Rushikulya coast, another is 60 kms off Gahiramatha coast, the two major Turtle's mass nesting and breeding grounds.

Besides these, the Rushikulya river mouth nesting beach is also under threat from the proposed Crude Oil (COT) project of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. at Kantiagada village, if this project comes up this mass nesting site would be lost for over, feels, mohanty. Meanwhile environment groups in orissa also became up in arms against a fertilizers factory, OSWAL, which is based in Paradeep, according to them the effluents from the fertilizer unit is posing a serious threat to Olive Ridley Turtles on the coast. In the other hand, more than 2 lakh traditional marine fishermen, who have been earning their livelihood fishing in Orissa coast, have expressed their deep anguish over fishing ban in peak seasons by Govt. in the name of turtle protection. While speaking to this correspondent Mr. K Aleya, secretary of Orissa traditional fishermen association says " we are living with uncertain future as Govt. has prohibited us to venture into the sea in peak season, which killed our livelihood". Mr. Aleya further added we would go with an indefinite strike after the new Govt. comes to power in the state.] With state govt. is all set to protect rare and endangered Turtles from international and environmental groups pressures and marine fishermen are up in arms over their alleged loosing livelihood, the innocent turtles who can't speak or hear are really facing troubled waters ahead.