Olive Ridley sea turtles have started nesting on the sand bed at the Gahirmatha sea beach in Kendrapada district. Forest officials have spotted mating and nesting activities of the sea turtles at Babaubali and Pentha beaches under the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary area, informed Rajnagar DFO Kedar Kumar Swain.
Swain said artificial hatcheries have been set up and forest personnel have been deployed for protection of eggs from predators like jackal, wild boars, dogs and birds. Similarly, two offshore camps, one each at Babubali and Agarnasi, and 16 onshore camps have been constructed at different places between Dhamra and Devi river mouth to stop illegal entry of trawlers to the sanctuary area.
The mortality rate of the species is so high that only one out of 1,000 hatchlings survives to become an adult Olive Ridley, Swain said. The forest officials claimed that the turtles’ death toll has so far remained lesser than corresponding period of the last year due to vigil and surveillance on trawler fishing.
As many as six fishing trawlers have so far been seized and 44 fishermen have been arrested for illegalities since the fishing prohibition was clamped on November 1, sources said.