CHENNAI: The death toll of Olive Ridley sea turtles along the Chennai coast has climbed to 50 this season, triggering fresh concern among conservationists and prompting the State government to strengthen marine patrolling and surveillance during the crucial mating period.
Volunteers from Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) said most of the turtles found dead so far are males, raising questions about what is happening offshore.
“We don’t know where exactly they are getting entangled and drowning. All the carcasses that are beaching now are around three to four days old,” a volunteer said, suggesting that the fatalities are occurring at sea rather than close to the nesting beaches.
To address the issue, the State on Thursday has deployed an 11-member marine elite force that will patrol waters up to five nautical miles from the coast.
The team will identify mating zones, monitor fishing activity, photograph and report violations, and assist enforcement agencies.
A few members of the force have also been trained to use underwater surveillance equipment, which can help determine the type of fishing gear being used and whether it poses a threat to turtles.
All members of the elite force have been drawn from the fishing community, mainly from Urur Kuppam and Tiruvanmiyur Kuppam along the Chennai coast.
Officials say their local knowledge of sea conditions and fishing practices makes them well-suited for the task. The recruits have undergone training and have temporarily given up fishing to take up the conservation role.
However, concerns have been raised over their wages and job security. The elite force members have been recruited temporarily for one year and are being paid between Rs 12,000 and Rs 13,000 a month.
According to department sources, the department initially sent the proposal classifying them as unskilled workers. Discussions are now underway to resubmit the proposal by recognising them as skilled workers, which would raise their minimum monthly salary to around Rs 30,000.
One member of the marine elite force told TNIE that the current pay is inadequate. “A salary of around Rs 10,000 will not be sufficient to provide even three meals a day for my family. For the last two months, we have given up fishing to undergo training. We are ready to take risks and protect the turtles, but we need minimum social security like a permanent job, better pay and insurance,” he said.
Meanwhile, scientific studies to understand the causes of turtle mortality are set to begin soon. Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests, said telemetry studies will commence in the first week of January. She also noted that nesting may be delayed this year due to prevailing weather conditions.
R Suresh Kumar, a marine turtle expert from the Wildlife Institute of India, said boat surveys and telemetry tagging will begin in early January. “We have just recruited the researchers. The surveys and tagging will help us understand movement patterns and identify risk zones,” he said.
Officials hope that a combination of enhanced patrolling, community involvement and scientific tracking will help curb turtle deaths in the coming weeks.