In Visakhapatnam, conservation efforts are on to save the Olive Ridley turtles

Andhra Pradesh Forest Department are taking conservation efforts to save the Olive Ridley turtles in Visakhapatnam by involving local fishing community

Carrying a torch in hand, a wooden stick and a bucket, Appala Raju, a fisherman in Visakhapatnam, patrols the Sagar Nagar beach every night for Olive Ridley turtle eggs as December arrives every year. The 52-year-old can easily spot the nests following the tracks of the mother. Not too long ago, he used to turn a blind eye to turtle carcasses lying on the coast. Today, he is a trained guard working in association with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department to protect marine turtles on the beaches of Visakhapatnam which is a sporadic nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles. The turtle is listed as vulnerable under the red list of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This year, the total number of nests recorded from January to March is 595 with 45,918 eggs in Visakhapatnam district.

“I wait every season for the turtles to come and lay eggs. It is a joy to witness hundreds of tiny hatchlings make their way into the sea after months of keeping a vigil,” says Appala Raju. His work of safeguarding the turtle nests starts from the end of December and goes on till April, sometimes even May. He carefully transfers the eggs into his bucket and places them vertically at the hatchery at Sagar Nagar, mimicking their position in their natural nests.

Once placed in the hatchery, each nest is labelled to mark the number of eggs and probable date of hatching. Following this, the wait for a period of 45 to 50 days begins for Appala Raju. Like him, there are about 20 local fishermen who have been trained by the AP Forest Department to safeguard the four Olive Ridley hatcheries in Visakhapatnam district and keep a vigil along the coast during the nesting season. They are part of the community conservation project initiated by the State Forest Department. The conservation effort, which began more than a decade ago, is bringing about a change in the mindset of the local fishing community who have turned into allies to save the sea turtles.

The fishermen-turned-guards along with the forest department officials have been systematically releasing hatchlings into the Bay of Bengal off Visakhapatnam coast over the past one month.

“Our engagement with the fishing community is an ongoing process. The success of the conservation project lies in involving the fishing community who are an integral part of the coast. Each hatchery in Visakhapatnam is monitored by five fishermen trained by us,” says Anant Shankar, Divisional Forest Officer, Visakhapatnam division.

The enclosed hatchery protects the eggs from predators like dogs and human disturbances on the beach. Incidentally, the Olive Ridley turtles take 25 to 30 years to reach adulthood but survival rate of the young ones is abysmally low.

To spread awareness about sea turtles, last December the Visakhapatnam division of the AP Forest Department had released a documentary on marine turtle conservation titled Saviours of the Sea –Tryst with the City of Destiny, capturing the journey of Olive Ridley turtles from the vast sea to the shores of Visakhapatnam as they proceed for nesting.