VISAKHAPATNAM: As many as 3,98,647 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings were released into the sea along the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh during the 2024-25 nesting season.
The season recorded 3,933 nestings under the Visakhapatnam Region forest circle including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts, with 4,37,817 eggs collected and protected in 31 hatcheries through the deployment of 98 protection watchers.
Statewide, a total of 6,662 nestings were identified across Andhra Pradesh during the 2024-25 season. As part of the conservation programme, 6,89,157 eggs were collected and protected in 73 hatcheries, with the support of 247 protection watchers. Following successful incubation and protection, 6,02,374 hatchlings were safely released into the sea
The annual nesting season has commenced across the four districts. District-wise, Srikakulam has 16 hatcheries maintained by 48 watchers, Vizianagaram has 10 hatcheries with 25 watchers, Visakhapatnam division has four hatcheries with 20 watchers, and Anakapalle has one hatchery maintained by five watchers.
Early reports from the current season indicate that five nestings have already been identified in Srikakulam district, from which 451 eggs were collected and secured. Of these, 15 hatchlings have been successfully released into the Bay of Bengal.
Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, use Andhra Pradesh’s coastline as an important sporadic nesting ground along their migratory route from major rookeries in Odisha.
The Visakhapatnam Circle covers a 344-km-long coastline across four districts, forming a major nesting and conservation zone for Olive Ridley turtles.
In Srikakulam district, which has the longest coastline of 193 km, nesting activity is recorded in villages including Pathadibalapallem, Budagatlapalem, Vajrapukotturu, Metturu, Baruvapeta, Battigalluru, Kalingapatnam, Isakalapalam, Geddavuru, Ch. Kapasakuddi, Battivanipalam, Donkuru, Gullavanipeta, Kummundavanipeta, Meghavaram and Bhavanapadu.
Vizianagaram district, with a 28-km coastline, also forms an important nesting stretch, covering coastal villages such as Chappala Kancheru, Mukkam, Chodipallipeta, Boddugurayyapeta-I and II, Thippalavalasa-I and II, Puligeddapalem, Barripeta and Chinthapalli.
In Visakhapatnam district, which has a 70-km coastline, nesting areas include Coastal Battery, R.K. Beach, Sagarnagar, Chepalauppada and Pedanagamayyapalem.
Anakapalle district, with a 53-km coastline, includes nesting stretches at Mutyalammapalem, Tikavanipalem, Dibbapalem, Parawada, Tantidi, Pudimadaka and Atchuthapuram.
Elaborating on the challenges faced by the species, Chief Conservator of Forests, Visakhapatnam Circle, B M Diwan Mydeen stated that bycatch in fishing operations remains one of the most serious threats, with turtles frequently getting entangled in trawl nets, gill nets and ghost nets, leading to high mortality.
Diwan Mydeen said predation and habitat loss also pose major risks, as eggs and hatchlings are targeted by dogs, jackals and birds, while coastal development and artificial lighting disorient hatchlings and affect their movement towards the sea. He further elaborated that pollution, particularly from plastics and oil discharge, significantly threatens marine survival, while other risks include climate change impacts on sex ratios, and overlaps between nesting seasons and fishing activities, all of which continue to challenge long-term conservation efforts.
“Protection watchers play a key role in identifying nests, collecting and safeguarding eggs, and releasing hatchlings into the sea. It is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders like Forest Department, Marine Police, Coast Guard, Fisheries Dept., NGO and Corporate partners to protect Olive Ridley Turtles,” he added.