Nets, boats and cuts pose fresh threat to Olive Ridleys

In some cases, the fishermen turn into their enemies as they sever some of their external body parts, that are caught in the nets.

The nesting season for Olive Ridleys commences in December and goes on till April. For years, the Ridleys have been coming to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi to lay eggs. Sources say that more than 13,000 eggs were found in 2016-17 in the two coastal areas.

This year, the nesting season commenced on December 17 and 128 eggs were laid by a single Olive Ridley turtle in Dhanushkodi.

However, two tragic incidents happened to the Ridleys on Wednesday. In the first one, a Ridley, which came to lay eggs sustained injuries and washed ashore dead. In the second incident, one of the Olive Ridleys was found without a flap and it was struggling for life.

The injured Olive Ridley was given a decent burial by officials from the Forest Department.

As the second Ridley turtle was found struggling for life, in the coast of Thiraparvalasai near Mandapam, Forest Department officials rushed to the spot.

They were shocked to find that the left flap was cut off. Fearing that it would not survive if left into the sea, as it did not have a flap, it was immediately taken to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Department (CMFRI) and let into a tub.

Forest Department personnel blame the fishermen for the wounds inflicted on the turtles.

Sathish, Forest Ranger, Mandapam Forest Range, said that as the nesting season for the Olive Ridleys has begun, fishermen in the area need to be sensitised about them.

If the turtles get struck in the nets of fishermen, they snipe its flaps as they do not want their nets to get damaged. The turtle that was saved on Wednesday,was also a victim of snipping.