Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals

Sea Turtle Protection

Report for the 2010-2011 Season

Visakhapatnam is an important sporadic nesting ground where the turtle greatly shows interest in nestings because of reasons that are most conducive for nestings. Our protection efforts ended in the month of May.

Introduction

VSPCA, along with TREE Foundation, jointly with AP Forest Department and ably supported by Winsome Constance Kindness Trust (Australia) have been engaged in protecting the sea turtles - mostly Olive Ridleys - along the coast of Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam.

In this regards, this year it was thought most prudent and practical to have a hatchery along the coasts and subsequently two were up one each at Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam. The reason for these hatcheries has been because of extreme disturbances to the coasts due to tourism developments, beach activities, heavy lightings, pollution and predators.

This year together more than 188 nestings have been sighted from naval coastal battery to Bheemili (184) and in Srikakulam (4).

This year also 20 Seaturtles Protection Force have been in force to protect the Seaturtles along these coasts.

Based on the results of this year progress will be made in the following year after extensive awareness campaign along the fishing villages

Fortunately the success rate of the hatcheries is 84%, making Exsitu as an effective method in conservation of the Olive Ridleys.

Activities undertaken by VSPCA during this season's protection and conservation programme:

1. Education and Awareness Programmes

We conducted Education and Awareness Programmes in schools, coastal and fishing communities to inform the direct stakeholders in the survival of the sea turtles about their plight. Thereby reducing turtle mortality as fisheries bycatch and poaching for direct consumption.

2. Lobbying and Legal Efforts

Lobbying with the necessary government departments to help in the protection and conservation programme by putting a stop to sand mining, dredging, and construction along the coast which reduces the total beach area as well as reducing the levels of industrial pollution and sewage discharge into the sea.

3. Networking

Networking with the other like-minded Animal Welfare Organisations to create a strong technical base for the programme.

4. Setting up of Hatcheries

Two hatcheries were built for the better protection and observation of the nests. We have built two successful hatcheries in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam.

Visakhapatnam hatchery Srikakulam hatchery

Our hatcheries at Visakhapatnam (left) and Srikakulam (right).

5. Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF)

This is a force comprising of local fishermen and volunteers who comb the beaches with the intention to:

The Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF) consisting of 14 members local fishermen volunteers have been selected to patrol the beaches. They were divided accordingly with two members for every four kilometres stretch. They have been provided extensive training that included theoretical as well as on the field. We also designated two hatcheries at the hatchery area.

6. Workshops

This year we conducted "State Marine Protected Species and Marine Turtle Conservation Initiation Workshop" organized by the A.P Forest Department, Tree Foundation and VSPCA at A.P Forest Department on 17.11.2011 and at Bheemili.

The main object for the workshop is to develop an action plan for the initiation of a State level Marine Prohibited Species Awareness and the Sea Turtle Conservation Programme.

7. The Types of Protection and Conservations involved

The Olive Ridley Sea turtle can be conserved in two methods:

Our protection and conservation community based project has so far included activities such as the nesting that were clearly vulnerable were shifted to hatcheries only.

In-situ conservation efforts

Ex situ conservation efforts

8. Outline of our STPF Work Detail

After due planning and permissions acquired from the Forest Department and after the workshop / meeting with all stakeholders our protection along the coasts began from January first week 2011.

VSPCA Team and STPF Members

Above: VSPCA Team and STPF Members

The preliminary steps that was undertaken to proceed for the protection of the turtles were:-

9. Success rate by Insitu and Exsitu

This year we were involved in both In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation which includes the data of both hatchery and the nesting beach. In the year 2010-2011 the areas covered by our STPF were:

Insitu Protection - Visakhapatnam

Area Nests Eggs Hatchlings Undeveloped Dead
Naval Coastal Battery to Vuda Park 69 7501 5935 422 1144
Vuda Park to Rushi Konda 45 5078 4101 233 744
Rushikonda To Bheemili 16 1555 1261 205 89
TOTAL 130 14,134 11,297
80%
860
6%
1977
14%

Exsitu Protection - Visakhapatnam

Area Nests Eggs Hatchlings Undeveloped Dead
Naval Coastal Battery to Vuda Park 16 1735 1429 288 18
Vuda Park to Rushi Konda 38 4097 3457 565 75
TOTAL 54 5832 4886
84%
853
14%
93
2%

Exsitu at Srikakulam

This year our Conservation and Protection of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles have extended till Srikakulam. A hatchery was kept in Jeedupalam. We could protect only four nests in the surrounding areas of jeedupalam which was setup rather late but except any early preparation at Srikakulam for 2011-2012.

Area Deaths
Naval Coastal Battery to Vuda Park 12
Vuda Park to Rushi Konda 6
Rushikonda To Bheemili 2
TOTAL 20

Olive Ridley first batch hatchlings released - 17/04/2011

The first batch of Sea Turtle hatchlings were released into the Bay of Bengal by Chief Conservator of Forest N.Prateep Kumar I.F.S. on 17/04/2011 at 5.30 am.

Fortunately the success rate of the hatcheries is 84 per cent, making Exsitu as an effective method in conservation of the Olive Ridleys.

2010-2011

It is imperative that Exsitu method of protection and conservation by community based process in very disturbed areas as Visakha urban is to be considered as most important. With every passing day the beaches are occupied with more humans, huge lightings, continuous beach entertainment, sewage discharges, pollutions, sand mining – the beaches are no more safe for the mother turtle, eggs and hatchlings.

However, the biggest predator continuous to be the huge number of deaths by adult turtles chocked in the trawling nets. This needs to be now made mandatory implementation that will enforce the use of Turtle Excluder Device (TEDs) to the trawling nets. Presently it is now mandatory the use of TEDs for exporting of shrimps to USA . We insist and request that this should be extended to all the trawlers and mechanised boats.

However, on the beaches we would request the Forest Department, A.P. to consider setting up more hatcheries along the coasts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

Our heartful thanks to A.P. Forest Department for their warm cooperation and helping us with STPFs and hatcheries.

We are grateful and obliged to Winsome Constance Kindness Trust for guidance and constant support.

Extremely thankful to Tree Foundation, Chennai for their expertise and for a much practical method of protection.

Archived Sea Turtle reports