Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 8 (ANI): In a landmark development for marine conservation, Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest-ever release of Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings this nesting season, with 2,29,432 baby turtles making their way into the sea.
This year’s figures mark a nearly fourfold rise in five years, as there were just 25,551 hatchlings in 2019-2020.
Speaking to ANI, Supriya Sahu, Tamil Nadu’s Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, said the milestone results from consistent groundwork, targeted interventions, and stronger collaboration with coastal communities.
“The consistent rise reflects successful turtle management and improved coastal protection. It was the result of multiple coordinated conservation efforts,” Sahu said.
According to Forest Department data, Olive Ridley turtle hatchling numbers in Tamil Nadu have steadily increased over the past five years: 60,789 in 2019-20, 116,160 in 2020-21, 172,339 in 2021-22, 182,917 in 2022-23, and 215,778 in 2023-24. In a landmark development, the 2024-25 season has already seen 249,745 hatchlings released into the sea as of May 6, from 319,895 eggs collected across various districts.
The final figure of 229,432 hatchlings reflects cumulative data from all coastal districts, where the bulk of hatching continues till the end of May.
Named for its olive-green shell, the Olive Ridley is currently the most abundant of all sea turtles. Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.
Sahu listed key measures that contributed to an upsurge in the number of hatchlings, including daily night patrol, establishment of a nodal task force, and climate-resilient hatchery infrastructure.
“Daily night patrols in two shifts helped secure distressed turtles and protect eggs. Nodal task force headed by PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden helped in important actions in coordination with various departments and stakeholders, including the fisheries department, Indian Coast Guard, fishermen associations, etc.,” she said.
“The Wildlife Division Chennai also established a Command-and-Control Centre at the Besant Nagar hatchery to streamline coordination. Additionally, hatchery infrastructure was rapidly expanded to accommodate the rising number of nests, ensuring maximum protection and successful hatching,” she added.
Cuddalore and Chennai have led the surge, showing significant growth in both nesting and hatching numbers.
In Chennai, multiple hatcheries–Neelankarai, Besant Nagar, Kovalam, and Pulicat–have been functioning at full capacity. In Cuddalore, teams zeroed in on Rasapettai and nearby coastal stretches early in the season and posted staff dedicated solely to nest surveillance.
“We ensured that once a nest was spotted, it was relocated within two hours to safe hatcheries. All data was uploaded in real time using an app developed by the department. This helped us track progress district-wise and identify weak spots early,” Sahu said.
She added that the success wasn’t just about hatching numbers. “We moved beyond symbolic clean-up drives. For instance, we ensured that hatchlings were released in the early morning hours or late evening to protect them from predators and heat stress. The teams were trained to monitor nest temperatures. This is the kind of meticulousness that makes a difference.”
Sahu informed that tracking hatchlings cannot be done further, as tagging hatchlings is not feasible due to their small size and vulnerability. As Olive Ridley’s survival rate is low (1 in 1000), the focus is on efforts to protect them by controlling ocean pollution, particularly plastics, and removing discarded nests from the ocean.
The life cycle of Olive Ridleys involves long migrations across ocean zones. After hatching, they drift with ocean currents before entering a foraging phase near islands between India and Sri Lanka.
By 13-14 years of age, they return to their birth coastlines for nesting, starting around August, with mating seen offshore in October and nesting from December to March.
In Tamil Nadu, key nesting sites include Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Velankanni, with some migrating as far as Odisha.
Environmental conditions, such as temperature, affect all stages of a sea turtle’s life–even the sex of offspring.
The warmer the nest beach conditions, the more female hatchlings that emerge from the eggs.
Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change could be disrupting normal sex ratios, resulting in fewer male baby turtles. Warmer sea surface temperatures can also lead to the loss of important foraging grounds for marine turtles, while increasingly severe storms and sea level rise can destroy critical nesting beaches and damage nests.
This is why climate-resilient hatcheries are important.
Sahu informed that the climate-resilient hatcheries are established, with lightweight natural roofing designed to reduce harsh sun exposure and protect the nests from sudden showers.
Timely monitoring of temperature and hatchling emergence is key to maintaining a reasonable success rate, but the ongoing effects of global warming mean that the sex ratio will remain a significant concern, no matter the steps taken.
With this season setting a new benchmark, the department is now preparing a blueprint to replicate the Chennai-Cuddalore model across all coastal districts. “The goal now is not just to sustain but to scale. Tamil Nadu should become the best example of sea turtle conservation in the country,” she said. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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