A programme on releasing 100 Olive Ridley hatchlings into the Bay of Bengal was inaugurated at Vizhundamavadi village near Keezhvelur in the district on Wednesday.
The release, to be executed in phases over next week, was aimed at conserving the critically endangered species under the Tamil Nadu Bio-diversity Conservation and Greening Project being implemented by the Forest Department.
The survival rate of the Olive Ridley hatchlings was far less, indicating its endangered status. Out of every 1,000 live hatchlings let into sea, only one survived. There has been a strong case for conserving this species, said S. Palanisamy, District Collector, after releasing the hatchlings into sea at Vizhundamavadi village.
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He said that so far, 7,535 eggs had been collected of which 3,000 had been let off into sea in the district in the last five months. The Forest Department had initiated special care for collecting the eggs and hatching them at the hatchery unit at seven places – Madavamedu, Kottagaimedu, Vanagiri, Kameswaram, Vizhundamavadi, Arukattuthurai, and Kodiyakarai villages in the coastal villages across the district.
C. Vidhya, District Wildlife Warden, and V. Gopinath, Range Officer, said that the Olive Ridley is often described as the ‘friend of fishermen’ for its vital role in facilitating feed for fishes. Primarily, Olive Ridley survived on the sea moss deposited on the corals – an important marine wealth. It consumed the sea grass consistently, thereby ensuring a pruning process for the plant. As tender grass was a vital feed for fishes, Olive Ridley played a key role by preventing any thick growth of the grass. It protected the young fishes from the massive attack by jelly fish.
The State government had appointed two fishermen at each of the seven hatcheries for collecting the eggs. These fishermen had collected the eggs usually laid on the shores well beyond midnight.
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“Dogs and eagles will eat away the eggs otherwise,” Mr. Gopinath said. The eggs were hatched between 45 and 60 days at the hatcheries before being let out into the sea.
Olive Ridley considered a ‘friend of fishermen’
It plays a key role in ensuring food supply for fishes