Why TN shores have become a death trap for Olive Ridley turtles

Chennai residents have been waking up to a grim sight over the last few weeks. The carcasses of over 1,000 Olive Ridleys the smallest sea turtle species in the world have washed up along the city’s sandy seashores and are now rotting under the harsh sun. Stray dogs and crows have been making a meal of the endangered species. According to wildlife experts, this is the first time in decades that such mass deaths of Olive Ridley turtles have been reported from Tamil Nadu’s shores. The last time was more than a decade ago when, in 2014, the toll during breeding season rose to 800 along Chennai’s shores alone.

Officials in the Tamil Nadu forest and fisheries departments pointed to the illegal trawling within the prohibited 5 nautical miles as the main reason for these deaths. With unlicensed fishing growing unchecked, while such deaths are not uncommon, they have been particularly pronounced this year with the carcasses washing ashore, according to experts and conservationists. Fishing boats have increasingly begun traversing close to the coast to increase their catch, and, in the process, the large nets and metal cages attached to them have blocked the nesting routes of the turtles and stopping them from reaching the shores in time to breathe. Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) explained that fishing laws in India prohibit fishing activities within 8 to 10 km of the coast.

“The Olive Ridleys need to come to the sea surface to breathe. But when illegal fishing trawlers operate too close to the coast, it traps the turtles, who cannot come up in time and eventually drown to death,” an MoEFCC official told The Print. The initial autopsy reports, according to Chennaibased environmentalist S. Selvarajan, have indicated that the probable cause of the deaths could be drowning. “Some of the turtles had lesions in the lungs. Some also had bulging eyes and swelling on their necks, also indications of drowning.” While the baby turtles can hold their breath underwater for nearly 45 minutes, fishing cages and nets cast too close to the shore can trap them in water.

The mass deaths are not limited to Tamil Nadu. According to Andhra Pradesh government estimates, another 3,000 Olive Ridleys have also been found dead. The turtles have washed up around the coasts of Bapatla, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Sullurpeta. The office of the special chief secretary of the department of fisheries refused to comment on the deaths.

In Tamil Nadu, the mass deaths this season have pulled government and conservationists into action. Apart from issuing stern warnings, surveillance near coastlines has also been increased to keep a check on overfishing and unlicensed fishing activities.

TN govt up in action: To tackle the crisis, the Tamil Nadu forest and fisheries departments has set up a task force. The warned the fishermen in the coastal region of Chennai that the TN government would cut down subsidies if the trawl boats were found operating without using turtle excluder devices. The turtle excluder devices metal grids attached to the bottom of the boats prevent sea turtles from getting caught in fishing nets.

They have been made mandatory since 2017. A joint team from the forest and fisheries departments also started to crack down on illegal trawling. Over 30 boats have been caught fishing within the prohibited zone of 5 nautical miles. The Tamil Nadu government estimates more than 1,000 Olive Ridleys have died along the Chennai seashore alone. The forest department has also urged the Indian Coast Guard to increase the patrolling in the 5 nautical miles region.