THE TELEGRAPH (Calcutta, India) 10 December 07 Stiff security for sea turtles - Operation olive to watch over illegal trade
Cuttack: Environment agencies are leaving no expense spared to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle, with the nesting season to start soon.
For the past month surveillance has been beefed up along the coast and along the preferred nesting spots — these December visitors are known for their weakness for the Devi river-mouth, the Gahirmatha and the Rushikulya banks for nesting purposes.
Therefore, forest officers have come up with protection camps at Gahirmatha, the world’s largest rookery for the Olive Ridley, while Coast Guard officers are planning to deploy a ship there under their Operation Olive. Central excise and customs department officials are keeping a close watch on trawler operations by scrutinising papers, licences and consignments.
The species has been under threat as their meat, blood, egg and carcass — are sold in the markets of Bengal, Northeast and in neighbouring countries of China, Tibet, Korea and Bangladesh. And their numbers are becoming less every year. Last year, 1.47-lakh turtles laid eggs in Gahirmatha, while in 2005, 2.67 lakh turned up.
Sources believe that the turtle trade has now allured drug cartels, which are investing in turtle peddling, due to its quick money and less risk. Then there is the growing demand in the domestic and international market where turtle blood and carcass is considered useful for medicine and fetch high prices.
Of late, turtle cartels have shifted to deeper waters, especially to the high seas, with stricter laws governing the shallow waters since mid nineties. The poachers have switched over to mechanised trawlers and boats and the lack of permanent patrolling vessels and manpower shortage has given a boost to poaching.
Officials, however, claim that measures are in place to protect the December visitors. The government has banned fishing within 20-km radius of Gahirmatha sanctuary near Bhitarkanika from November 1 to May 30. “Besides, there are 16 protection camps, including three on the sea, which have been set up with forest guards and police,” said A.K. Jena, divisional forest officer of the Rajnagar wildlife division.
The department has also set up hatcheries at Agarnasi, Pentha and Babubali in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. Forest squads have been directed to collect eggs from the pits and put them in hatcheries — away from predators and poachers.
Some infiltrators from Bangladesh, who have settled along coastal islands and pockets of Bhitarkanika sanctuary, are being watched as the waters act as conduits of trade.
Stiff security for sea turtles