CHENNAI: The state has announced a two-year telemetry study, from 2025 to 2027, to track the movements of Olive Ridley turtles along its coastline using satellite and flipper tagging. The initiative aims to identify near-shore hotspots, migratory routes, and entanglement-prone fishing areas, providing science-backed strategies to reduce fishing-related mortality.
The government has sanctioned Rs 84 lakh for the project, and a G.O. was issued on Saturday. Of this, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will receive Rs 53.65 lakh for satellite tags, data transmission, and field operations, while the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) has been allocated Rs 30.29 lakh for nearshore surveys, fisher assessments, and flipper tagging. Immediate sanction has been accorded for Rs 59.14 lakh in 2025-26, with the balance to follow in the next financial year.
As part of the study, 20 Olive Ridley turtles will be fitted with Argos satellite transmitters-10 from Chennai and the rest from other nesting beaches along the Tamil Nadu coast. The devices will provide fine-scale movement data through the nesting season, especially in the 10-30 metre depth range where turtle activity overlaps with intensive fishing.
In addition, 10,000 flipper tags will be deployed to monitor long-term site fidelity, survivorship, and inter-rookery movement of around 5,000 turtles over multiple seasons.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department, said the project reflects the state’s commitment to marine conservation. “This telemetry study will help us identify critical habitats and protect them during nesting seasons. Tamil Nadu is determined to use science to guide conservation and reduce turtle bycatch,” she said.
Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra emphasised that the study would address a long-standing gap. “While Odisha’s mass nesting beaches are well studied, solitary nesting along Tamil Nadu has received little scientific attention. By combining satellite and flipper tagging with fisher surveys, we will get a comprehensive picture of turtle movement and risks along our coast,” he said.
The project comes in the wake of over 1,100 turtle deaths reported in early 2025, attributed mainly to illegal trawling within five nautical miles and poor use of Turtle Excluder Devices. Officials hope the findings will guide seasonal fisheries regulation, habitat protection, and strengthen the state’s implementation of the National Marine Turtle Action Plan.