Urgent: Thousands of Dead Sea Turtles Found on India’s Shores – What You Need to Know

BENGALURU, India — In the past two weeks, over 400 endangered olive ridley sea turtles have washed ashore near Chennai, marking a worrying trend not seen in over 20 years.

These turtles travel long distances to find the best places for nesting along India’s coastline. Unfortunately, their nesting areas are shrinking, and they face dangers like fishing nets that can trap and harm them.

Typically, Chennai sees around 100 to 200 turtle deaths annually. This year, though, that number has already surpassed 200 in just weeks, according to Shravan Krishnan from the Students Sea Turtles Conservation Network. He expresses concern not only about the deaths but also about the dwindling number of nests. So far, only four nests have been located on local beaches, a troubling sign for the turtle population.

Environmentalists have reported daily turtle deaths, with at least ten found each day recently. The situation mirrors a peak last observed in 2014, when more than 900 turtles washed up along India’s southern coast. Experts suspect that large fishing nets, which trawl the ocean floor, are a significant factor in these deaths.

Local wildlife warden Manish Meena highlights efforts to raise awareness among fishermen about the importance of releasing any turtles caught in nets. They’ve also reached out to the coastguard to monitor fishing activities more closely.

In 2016, regulations were introduced to protect nesting turtles. Trawlers must keep their large nets at least five nautical miles from the coast during nesting season, and they are required to use turtle excluder devices that allow turtles to escape from their nets.

However, these protective measures are often disregarded, as fishermen may worry that these devices will reduce their catch.

Olive ridley turtles face many threats, including habitat loss, marine pollution, and fishing nets. The eggs take about two months to hatch, which makes them vulnerable to human activities on beaches, rising temperatures, and light pollution that can confuse hatchlings.

In Odisha, further up the east coast, around 500,000 turtles nest annually in a spectacular event known as Arribada. Unfortunately, only about one in a thousand hatchlings will survive to maturity.

Turtles play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, mainly by controlling jellyfish populations. An overabundance of jellyfish can upset the balance of marine life.

As Shantanu Kalambi from ReefWatch states, sea turtles have been around for millions of years and significantly contribute to the marine food chain. Their survival is vital for maintaining a healthy ocean environment.

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Olive ridley turtles, India, fishing nets, sea turtles, turtle nests, dead turtles, turtle deaths, turtle nesting, Students Sea Turtles Conservation Network, Shravan Krishnan