Hatchery for Olive Ridley nesting set up at Besant Nagar beach

Hatcheries for the Olive Ridley turtle nesting season have been set up in Chennai. While the hatchery at Besant Nagar is fully operational, hatcheries will also be established at Neelankarai, Kovalam, and Pulicat. The Pulicat hatchery is nearing completion, said a Forest Department official.

Temperature data loggers will be installed in select nests at some hatcheries to study whether ambient temperatures are being maintained.

The Olive Ridley turtle nesting season typically begins in December and continues until around April along the Tamil Nadu coast, with mass nesting events known as arribadas occurring at select locations. During this period, conservation measures such as hatchery establishment, beach patrolling, and regulation of fishing activities are intensified to protect nesting turtles and their eggs.

As the annual nesting season has just begun, only a few nests have been recorded so far. Night patrolling by forest guards and watchers has commenced.

Over 100 turtle carcasses have washed ashore along the coast since December.

Manish Meena, Wildlife Warden, Chennai, said the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is coordinating with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, the Fisheries Department, and the Marine Police, and that data on violators, including trawlers, is being shared among agencies.

On Monday, when The Hindu accompanied the Marine Elite Force during a patrol to intercept trawlers, up to five trawlers were found violating the prohibition of fishing within five nautical miles from the shore. Of these, three trawlers were charge-sheeted by the Fisheries Department and will be temporarily barred from fishing, Mr. Meena said.

During the previous nesting season, a record 60 hatcheries were set up across coastal districts. This year, the Forest Department plans to establish around 50 hatcheries initially and will increase the number as the nesting season progresses, depending on the number of nests found.