BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Wednesday banned visitors from entering the nesting sites of Olive Ridley sea turtles along eastern coast of the state.
Issuing an order, the state wildlife headquarters said, all mass nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles will remain closed for visitors during the period of nesting till the hatchlings are born and released into the sea. The ban came in the wake of congregation of huge crowds at the nesting sites for photography and videography posing danger to the rare species and affecting the natural process of nesting and laying eggs.
The nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles are located at Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district, Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara and Devi river mouth in Puri. The mass nesting of turtles usually begins in March after the November-December mating season in deep sea. Every year lakhs of turtles visit the sites to lay eggs.
The order issued by principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Sushanta Nanda said people visiting the mass nesting sites of Olive Ridley sea turtles for observing the phenomena of nesting and hatchling emergence use bright lights for the purpose. The visitors also photograph/videograph the turtles.
“As inappropriate behaviour of visitors were observed in some cases, activities with crowding of the nesting sites would disturb the normal process of turtle nesting and hatchling emergence to a great extent,” the order stated.
Olive Ridley sea turtles are protected under schedule-I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the activities that disturb their natural phenomenon of nesting come under the definition of ‘hunting’ as per provisions of the Act. Earlier, the state government had clamped a seven-month ban on sea fishing from November to May within 20 km off the coast to ensure the safety of marine species including Olive Ridley turtles for their mating and breeding.
Meanwhile, over 60 on-shore camps and five off-shore camps have been set up in four wildlife divisions of Bhadrak, Rajnagar, Puri and Berhampur to ensure effective patrolling. High speed boats and trawlers have also been pressed into service to check illegal fishing in the prohibited zone during the ban period.