For conservation strategies to be successful in the long run, the local communities should be roped in and awareness programmes must be held involving students and volunteers, members of DNCS said. The study pointed out a series of measures that will help to reduce adult mortality rate of Olive Rildey turtles.
Strict enforcement of ban on near shore mechanised fishing activities during breeding and nesting season should be enforced. Use of Turtle Excluder Device (TED) should be made mandatory for trawlers operating in the coastal waters beyond 5 km of the coastline. Beach patrolling must be carried out during the nesting season and the nesting zones should be marked as protected areas.
“Instead of planting exotic species like Australian Pine and Australian Wattle along the beach, endemic species must be planted adjacent to the beach road. In fact, Ipomea biloba is a good sand binder and a better alternative,” Prof. Rama Murty, president of DNCS said. As far as possible, eggs should incubate in their natural nests for a high hatching success and to avoid skewed sex ratios, he added.
Conducting turtle walks, which is done in cities like Chennai, and celebrating turtle festivals and organising exhibitions in schools and colleges can go a long way in creating awareness about Olive Ridley conservation.
