
CHENNAI: As the death toll of Olive Ridley turtles continues to rise during the ongoing nesting season this year, the Union government has sought a report from Tamil Nadu, whose coastal waters serve as an important migratory corridor for these ancient species.
Meanwhile, the southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, impleaded Andhra Pradesh as well in the case on Friday, considering over 3,000 Olive Ridleys have reportedly died and beached in the last one month along the State's coast.
The tribunal had expressed displeasure over the reports submitted by Tamil Nadu forest and fisheries departments saying there wasn't even a single line on what punitive action was taken against erring trawlers, who are largely blamed for the turtle deaths.
The bench comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanaranan and expert member K Satyagopal has posted the matter to February 7 seeking detailed action taken report and day-wise turtle mortality from both fisheries departments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The tribunal also sought compliance details on use of mandatory Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets.
When contacted, K Mohammed Koya, Fisheries Development Commissioner, Department of Fisheries in Government of India, told TNIE he was aware of the unusually high number of Olive Ridley turtle deaths in Chennai, but the reasons are still being evaluated. "We are yet to get the report from the Tamil Nadu fisheries department. Meanwhile, a decision was taken to make the use of TEDs mandatory for all the trawlers in India. Some States like Orissa and Tamil Nadu have already made it mandatory but the enforcement has been poor." TNIE has learnt that the issue of increased deaths this season was discussed during a high-level meeting held by the Union fisheries ministry officials earlier this week.
Koya said an indigenous TED has been designed and field tested by Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), which has cleared the standards and specifications set by the US. "Shortly these TEDs will be rolled out in the market. The Union fisheries ministry is also contemplating to provide full/partial subsidy for fishermen to procure the TEDs in consultation with the State governments."
The report submitted by the principal secretary of State Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, said due to the non-availability of TEDs, unproven results and efficacy of TEDs in trophic multispecies trawl fishing methods in Indian waters, it is not feasible to enforce fitment of TED by all fishermen in their trawlers immediately till a standard design of TED is finalised and approved.
However, it stands contradictory to the GOs passed in 2015-16, which says trawl nets cannot be used without TEDs. "Even if one is to accept the statement made by the fisheries department, the trial and error could have been completed when the GOs were issued in the years 2015 and 2016," the bench said.
"The concern of the tribunal is the mass killing of the Olive Ridley Turtles. The departments concerned should have already stepped in first to arrest the mass mortality of the turtles and then proceed with the prosecution. We are pained to say that despite the passage of more than 10 days, even in an alarming situation, the Government has not stepped in to stop the mass mortality or identify the reason for the same. Though the media reported that necropsy or autopsy is directed to be done, the reports have not been furnished to us so far," the green bench said.