BHUBANESWAR: The Forest division of Berhampur will carry out beach cleaning activity ahead of the mass nesting season of Olive Ridley turtles. While cleaning of the beaches will be completed before January 2024, fencing work will be completed before February 5.
The mass nesting of the turtles commences at Rushikulya rookery in February and continues till March. While around 11 on-shore camps had been set up in the division in 2022-23, similar camps will also be set in advance to improve the protection measures.
Community involvement will be encouraged in the protection of the Olive Ridleys. Accordingly, steps will be taken to motivate a village trader to open a shop for selling stickers, caps, t-shirts, key chains etc for awareness. Besides, a register of tourists will also be maintained at Podampeta and Gokharakuda, officials said.
Similarly, 16 camps including two off-shore ones will also be set up by the Mangrove Wildlife Division (Rajnagar) for the upcoming mass nesting season in the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in accordance with the provisions of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act - 1982 and Wildlife Protection Act 1972. DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Jadav said a trawler and two boats will be engaged to check fishing as a seven-month ban is in place since November 1 in the nesting zones.