TIRUCHY: As many as 100 fishermen from Thanjavur were distributed with turtle excluder devices worth Rs 23.48 lakh on Monday, which would protect the turtles from being caught in the trawler's net.

As the nesting season for the turtles falls from January 1 to April 30, the fisheries and fishermen's welfare department has been initiating several steps to save the turtles, which would be easily trapped in the nets and might die.

In order to avoid the death of turtles and ensure an environment for the nesting of turtles, the fisheries department advised the fishermen to spread nets beyond five nautical miles and prevent the use of high-powered engines and certain nets which would destroy the breeding of the turtles.

A Nodal Task Force has been established, which would be vigilant on the boats fishing below five nautical miles. These boats would be monitored by the ISRO-enabled transponders through the Nabhmitra application and initiate action against those boats violating the restrictions.

Meanwhile, for protecting the turtles, a turtle excluder device was designed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi. The device has been distributed to the fishermen across the Tamil Nadu coastline.

On Monday, as many as 100 fishermen from Thanjavur were distributed with the devices at Mallipattinam and Sethubavachatram fishing harbours in Thanjavur. Teh Mallipattinam Fisheries inspector V Durairaj distributed the devices to the fishermen in the presence of the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Welfare Board member Thajudeen.