Visakhapatnam:Andhra Pradesh government, along with Coast Guard, marine and forest departments, is taking proactive measures to prevent the deaths of Olive Ridley sea turtles.Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan directed the forest and environment department to investigate the underlying causes for the deaths of Olive Ridley turtles and develop a comprehensive action plan for their protection.In the interim, TREE Foundation chairperson Dr. Supraja Dharini told Deccan Chronicle that they have submitted a report on the death of 2,641 turtles washing ashore along the Andhra Pradesh coast between January 1 and January 30.Rising mortality of the Olive Ridley turtles is particularly concerning, as it coincides with their nesting season. The coastline of Andhra Pradesh is the breeding and nesting habitat for these turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), which have been classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).These turtles predominantly nest on the sandy shores of Andhra Pradesh between December and April, with significant nesting activities also taking place in the adjacent state of Odisha. Key nesting locations in AP include beaches near Sullurpeta, Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam and Bapatla, as well as the estuaries of the Krishna and Godavari rivers, Kakinada, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam.”Turtles need to surface every 40–45 minutes. When trapped within fishing nets, they die due to prolonged entanglement,” explained Raghu Prakash of Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, he maintained that many fatalities among Olive Ridley turtles are primarily after they get entangled in nets placed on the ocean floor by fishermen. Use of hazardous nets, such as kona (gill nets), atuka and teak nets complicate the issue.Raghu Prakash pointed out turtle conservation received a boost with the enactment of Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 in the United States in 1996, which imposed restrictions on shrimp imports from nations that did not utilise Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs).The CIFT representative underlined that India’s efforts to create effective TEDs have brought mixed results. The initial attempts using imported technology from the U.S. in 1996 faced challenges, resulting in losses of fishing catch ranging from 15–30 per cent. The introduction of an indigenous TED by CIFT in 1997 represented a significant advancement, achieving full turtle protection, while limiting catch losses to less than 1 per cent for shrimp and 3 per cent for fish.Raghu Prakash said that despite these advancements, the U.S. has continued prohibiting shrimp imports from India. But with the TED device adjusted to meet American standards and U.S. representatives scheduled to inspect the device, exports are likely to resume.
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