CHENNAI: In a conservation initiative aimed at protecting endangered sea turtles without affecting fishermen’s livelihoods, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday announced a Rs 6.40 crore scheme to distribute Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) free of cost to mechanised fishing vessels operating along the State’s coastline.
The programme, implemented through the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare department, seeks to prevent sea turtles, particularly during their annual nesting season, from being trapped in fishing trawl nets. The nesting period extends from January 1 to April 30 every year.
As part of turtle protection measures, the State has imposed a ban on mechanised fishing within five nautical miles from the shore and prohibited the use of mechanised traditional boats with engines exceeding 10 horsepower in notified turtle nesting zones. The use of specific fishing nets has also been restricted during the breeding season.
According to the government, monitoring and enforcement are being strengthened through joint patrols and real-time tracking of fishing vessels using ISRO-enabled transponders via the ‘Nabhmitra’ online application. Action has been initiated against violators under the TN Marine Fishing Regulation Act.
Awareness campaigns are also being conducted in fishing hamlets in coordination with the Forest department, Coastal Security Group, Coast Guard, fishermen associations, NGOs and village panchayat leaders. A total of 270 awareness programmes have been held during the current nesting season.
The TEDs, designed with technical support from the ICAR Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi, allow turtles caught in trawl nets to escape safely without damaging the catch. In the first phase, TEDs worth Rs 11.75 lakh were distributed to 50 vessels on a pilot basis, followed by distribution to 2,613 boats at a cost of Rs 6.29 crore. Installation work is currently underway, officials said.