A little over 400 hatchlings of Oliver Ridley were let into the sea on Sunday, taking the total number of hatchlings let off into the sea to 3,800 so far during the current season.
In all, 630 hatchlings were let off at the shores of Samanthanpettai near here by S. Palanisamy, Collector.
The district which accounts for a coastal length of about 187.9 km, has a total of eight hatcheries where 25,000 eggs had been collected and preserved. The eggs were preserved at these hatcheries.
The Collector said the clean maintenance of the hatcheries by the Forest Department under the Tamil Nadu Bio-diversity and Greening Project had gone a long way in ensuring larger collection and preservation of eggs besides letting off the hatchlings to the sea.
S. Vidhya, Wildlife Warden and A. Saravanan, Forest Range Officer, Nagapattinam, said that the balance 10,000 hatchlings would be released in course of time.
A constant surveillance is being kept at the hatcheries which are well protected by nets all around andl also on the ceiling so as to prevent the entry of crows, cats or dogs.
According to official sources, the hatcheries have also been kept free from plastic waste or garbage.
