The Forest Department has collected a total of 5,100 eggs of Olive Ridley and taken special steps for hatching them at three hatcheries in this district.
The eggs have been collected from 20 villages in a stretch of about 50 km. The environment and the surface are clean and free from garbage and plastic waste -- one of the major factors for attracting the species to the shore to lay eggs.
The department has set up special bamboo thatched fence with gunny bags at its base to prevent the entry of stray dogs or cats which prowl upon the eggs or the young sea turtles.
“This is the beginning of the season when the Oliver Ridley reach the shore to lay eggs. We are hopeful of collecting a larger number of eggs in a couple of months,” says V. Gopinath, Forest Range Officer, Sirkali, who has been monitoring the collection and hatching of eggs at the hatcheries set up under the Tamil Nadu Bio-diversity and Greening Project.
He said that the hatcheries had been set up at a distance of about 20 metres from the shore. “The humidity and temperature at Nagapattinam coast has been ideal for the Olive Ridely to reach the shores,” he said.
Olive Ridely, an endangered species, plays an important role in conservation of marine wealth, particularly fish resource. The sea turtles clean the coral reef by eating the deposit of moss on it.
The department has been conducting awareness programmes among the fishermen. “We have constituted teams comprising fishermen and officials for each hatchery. We keep a close surveillance of the area in the night,” he said
Night patrolling is being carried out at Pazhaiyar, Madavamedu, Chinnakottagaimedu, Poolaiyar, Thoduvai, Tirumullaivasal, Pudhukuppam, Nadukuppam, Nachiyarkuppam, Keezha Moovarkarai, Poompuhar and Vanagiri.
He urged people to inform officials whenever they happen to come across any injured sea turtle. “We have made all arrangements for treating the injuries before letting them back into the sea,” he said.
The department has constituted a round-the-clock cell for receiving any information about Olive Ridley in this district. During night patrolling, the services of local fishermen or volunteers are utilised for collecting the eggs. Nature lovers and those interested in conservation of this species can contact the cell by dialling 94436-49119. “The mobile phone can be accessed even during the dead of night so that we can make arrangements for curing the injured ones,” he said.
