: The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park has recorded the maiden collection of sea turtle eggs this season as the Mandapam forest range personnel collected 98 eggs from a nest at Muhuntharayar Chathiram, near Danushkodi in the early hours of Tuesday.
A team of seven turtle watchers was taking a stroll along the seashore in the early hours, surveying for turtle tracks when they found the nest and safely shifted all the 98 eggs to a nearby hatchery to protect them from predators and for healthy hatching.
On being informed, S. Sathish, Forest Range Officer (Mandapam range) reached the spot at 4 a.m. and supervised the shifting of the eggs to the hatchery. “All the eggs were safely shifted to the bed in the hatchery and the hatching is expected to take place in 45 to 60 days,” Mr. Sathish told The Hindu .
After the GoM Marine National Park launched the turtle conservation project in 2013-14, turtle watchers used to locate nests during the last week of December and this was the first time a nest was found in early December, Deepak S. Bilgi, Wildlife Warden said.
“The breeding season begins in November and location of a nest in early December is a good sign for turtle conservation this season,” he said.
On December 9, Collector S Natarajan had addressed a meeting of stakeholders and sensitised them to the measures to be taken to preserve sea turtles during the nesting season, he added.
As per the directives of the Madras High Court, a district level committee, with Collector as Chairman has been formed to monitor the conservation project, implemented under the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project, Mr. Bilgi said.
Forest department, Indian Coast Guard, Marine police of the Coastal Security Group, local police, local administration, Non Governmental Organisations and representatives of mechanised and country boat fishermen have been roped in to ensure safety to the turtles during the nesting season, he added.
In the last season, the Marine National Park had collected more than 3,000 eggs and achieved more than 90 per cent survival rate in the hatchings from two hatcheries in Danushkodi and Opilan, he said.
They keep close vigil in the 90-km-long stretch from Arichalmunai to Mariyur and this year, they proposed to establish one more hatchery at Kilakarai, depending upon the need, Mr. Bilgi said.
The nesting season ends in March-April and the hatchings in May end, he added.
