‘Operation Olivia’ to the rescue of Olive Ridleys

Every yr, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early Eighties, helps shield Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate alongside the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.

“For optimal results, round-the-clock surveillance is conducted from November till May utilising Coast Guard assets such as fast patrol vessels, air cushion vessels, interceptor craft and Dornier aircraft to enforce laws near the rookeries,” a Coast Guard officer mentioned. “From November 2020 to May 2021, the Coast Guard devoted 225 ship days and 388 aircraft hours to protect 3.49 lakh turtles that laid eggs along the Odisha coast.”

The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is listed as weak beneath the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red listing. All 5 species of sea turtles present in India are included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and in the Appendix I of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits commerce in turtle merchandise by signatory nations. Odisha has additionally formulated legal guidelines for shielding Olive Ridley turtles, and the Orissa Marine Fisheries Act empowers the Coast Guard as one of its enforcement companies.

“Studies have found three main factors that damage Olive Ridley turtles and their eggs — heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion,” the officer mentioned.

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Dense fishing exercise alongside the coasts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, particularly ocean-going trawlers, mechanised fishing boats and gill-netters pose a extreme risk to turtles.

Coordination of efforts is finished at varied ranges, the officer defined, together with implementing the use of turtle excluder gadgets (TED) by trawlers in the waters adjoining nesting areas; prohibiting the use of gill nets on turtle approaches to the shore; and curbing turtle poaching.

Nesting habits

The Olive Ridley has one of the most extraordinary nesting habits in the pure world, together with mass nesting known as arribadas. The 480-km-long Odisha coast has three arribada seashores at Gahirmatha, the mouth of the Devi river, and in Rushikulya, the place about 1 lakh nests are discovered yearly.

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More not too long ago, a brand new mass nesting website has been found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with greater than 5,000 nests reported in a season, in accordance to the U.S.’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.

“Sea turtles generally return to their natal beach, or where they were born, to lay eggs as adults,” the Coast Guard officer defined. Mating happens in the offshore waters of the breeding grounds and females then come ashore to nest, normally a number of instances throughout a season. They crawl ashore, dig a flask-shaped nest about 1.5 to 2 foot deep, and lay 100 to 150 eggs in every clutch. Hatchlings emerge from their nests collectively in about seven to 10 weeks.

“Between the arrival of the mother and the hatchlings’ retreat to the sea, they go through various challenges. It is estimated that only one in a thousand survive to adulthood,” the officer added.