TIRUPATI: The wildlife management division of Sullurpeta in SPSR Nellore district has been successfully taking forward the Olive Ridley Turtle conservation programme at Pulicat and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary for the past eight years.
According to forest officials, as many as 45,408 eggs were collected at this sanctuary in eight years and over 41,852 hatchlings were released into the sea.
In 2020-21, around 16,444 eggs have been caught in this region and with 207 nests, 16,437 hatchlings were released into the sea. The number of hatchlings released was 10,390 more in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20 figures.
When the initiative took off in 2013-14, officials were able to collect 2,442 eggs and with 30 nests they released 2,114 hatchlings into the sea. In 2014 with 15 nests; in 2015 with 16 and 2016 with 17, they collected 1711, 1337 and 1838 eggs and released 1,285; 1,039 and 1,264 hatchlings into the sea, respectively.
The program picked up after forest officials roped in the fishing community in the region to help in the conservation efforts. In 2017-18, as many as 9214 eggs were collected and 7,984 hatchlings were released into the sea. The number of eggs caught decreased to 6,188 and 6,234 in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively, but the number of hatchlings released into the sea improved – 5,682 in 2018-19 and 6,047 in 2019-220.
Officials say that the success rate of the assisted hatching in hatcheries is high, whereas in normal conditions only one in a 1,000 survive. Fishermen and forest officials constantly monitor turtle tracks on the sand and catch the eggs, before shifting them to the nests. Further, hatchlings will be pushed back into the sea.
