NAGAPATTINAM: As part of a state-wide project, the district forest department has commenced a pilot in-situ conservation of Olive Ridley sea turtle nests to study its feasibility and impact on hatchling outcomes. The pilot that commenced last Friday is being undertaken on a stretch running to about 1,300 metres between two estuaries near the Nagapattinam port.
District Forest Officer K Karthikeyani said the site was selected after studying nesting patterns, coastal conditions, and its relative isolation from regular fishing activities and public movement, making it suitable for a controlled trial. Under the programme, turtle nests are being protected at their original locations using eco-friendly methods instead of relocating the eggs to hatcheries.
Each nesting site is secured with a cylindrical bamboo structure, topped with protective netting, to prevent damage from predators, human disturbance, and natural factors. So far, one nesting has been recorded and fully protected under this method. Nagapattinam Forest Range Officer Shyam Sundar said regular monitoring is being carried out by designated turtle watchers, including members of the local fishing community, with one watcher assigned specifically in the identified stretch.
Unlike the mass nesting seen in places such as Gahirmatha in Odisha, Karthikeyani explained that in-situ conservation along the Tamil Nadu coast poses challenges due to sporadic and isolated nesting. The scattered nature of nesting makes it difficult to establish no-entry zones, as it could affect public access, fishing operations, and tourism activities.
For this reason, ex-situ conservation has traditionally been followed, officials said, while stressing that such a method offers hatchling success rate of up to 95%. The current pilot will study whether in-situ conservation can be effectively carried out without disrupting coastal activities and observe any difference in hatchling outcomes.
Forest officials said that if the protected nests hatch successfully after the expected 45-65 day incubation period, it would be considered a significant success and could guide future conservation efforts wherever conditions permit along the Tamil Nadu coast. Meanwhile, forest department officials in Mayiladuthurai said the pilot study would commence in the district in the coming week.