MANGALURU
The olive ridley turtle conservation along the Mangaluru coast has shown remarkable improvement this year, with the overall hatching rate reaching 74 percent, according to the forest department. Anthony S Mariyappa, DCF, said that a total of 2,490 eggs were laid across 24 nesting sites, and 1,842 hatchlings successfully emerged and crawled into the Arabian Sea during this year's nesting season, including eight nests in Sasihithlu, 13 in Idya Beach, and one nest each in Bengre, Tannir Bhavi, and Panambur Beach. Last year, 13 nests were reported in Sasihithlu, three in Bengre, and one each in Idya, Tota Bengre, Panambur, Tannir Bhavi, and Chitrapura beaches. Out of 1,958 eggs laid across 21 nesting sites, only 985 hatchlings emerged. He noted that this year's hatching rate marked a significant improvement over the previous season's 50.3 percent. “These conservation efforts began last season, and protection protocols have been evolving with each season. Our aim is to improve with every passing year. While natural hatching is ideal, practical challenges often require intervention,” DCF Mariyappa said.
“This year, we ensured that all nests were relocated to safer locations after checking soil conditions. Last year, we made efforts to protect the nests in their natural sites, but in areas like Tannir Bhavi and Bengre, hard soil compaction affected the emergence of hatchlings. Taking lessons from the previous season, the department shifted all nests to more suitable locations,” he added. Monitoring for the next nesting season will begin in Nov, and the department hopes to continue refining its conservation practices. To ensure the safety of olive ridley turtle nests, the forest department has set up onshore camps at each nesting site and an artificial hatchery has been introduced to safely relocate vulnerable eggs. Awareness campaigns for the fishing community and beach restoration drives with the help of college students were also undertaken.
