CHENNAI: Unlike previous years, the volunteers of turtle walks on the Chennai coast from Pulicat to Kovalam are returning disappointed as the annual Olive Ridley turtle nesting has commenced on a sluggish note. Only nine nests were found till Wednesday.
According to official data, 60 nests were found and secured during the same period last year — by January 17, 2023.
While February is the peak nesting season, sporadic nesting usually begins from the last week of December. However, with the northeast monsoon becoming increasingly erratic and ocean warming, the nesting season off-late is getting pushed to the second week of January.
Chennai Wildlife Warden E Prasanth told TNIE, “Just nine nests till January second week is a very slow start compared to previous years. We hope the nesting picks pace by the end of the month.”
A marine ecologist from National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Deepak Samuel V, said while climate change factor cannot be ruled out, there have been instances of nesting seeing a slow start but later picking up pace in the previous years. There were years when the overall count was very less but the nesting being healthy in the corresponding seasons, he added.
As per a research done by French Guiana, published in Springer last year, beach erosion aggravates the decline in marine turtle populations. The erosion of sand between egg chambers and the surface will lead to suitability loss for nesting in regular beaches, the study stated.
Various other global studies show that temperature rise can also disrupt nesting and egg development of sea turtles. The previous year was the hottest one ever recorded and 2024 is likely to be equally bad as per projections. Experts say warming waters can decrease food sources for sea turtles, as reduction in oxygen level leads to fall in population of prey species. Combined effect of temperature rise and decreased food sources can have a drastic impact on sea turtle population.
Although the possibility is remote, there are fears that the recent Ennore oil spill has adversely affected the nesting.
Meanwhile, the number of dead turtles washing ashore is alarmingly high. As many as 10 turtles were found dead on Wednesday alone, said the volunteers of Tree Foundation.
Supraja Dharini, founder of Tree Foundation, alleged that ray fishnets — Thiruka, Padangya, and squid — which are banned during nesting season are being used, killing the turtles and by-catch. Wildlife authorities confirmed that they also received complaints and have urged the fisheries department to act immediately and stop fishers from using banned gear during the season.
