Carcasses of 30 Olive Ridleys washed ashore

CHENNAI: Sunday night didn't hold a pretty sight for Student Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) volunteers who were out on a routine walk on the beaches of Chennai. Carcasses of 30 Olive Ridley turtles were found washed ashore between Neelankarai and Napiers Bridge. While some of them were found tangled in nets, most lay bloated with their eyes popped out, indicating drowning.
"This is unprecedented in the last 20 years. While the numbers have been increasing last five years, this is too high," said volunteer Akila Balu on Monday. "I counted and marked 21 which were on the sand. We could also see another 10-12 floating in the water," said R Nishant, a reptile conservationist.
While the forest department has ordered for a necropsy, turtle conservationists say the writing is on the wall. "We want to create evidence that trawlers are the main reason for this massacre," said an official from the state forest department. "We have been writing to the fisheries department to take action."
According to Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, trawlers are not allowed to fish within 5.5km off the coast. "This is the time when turtles congregate near the shore to nest and they end up getting tangled in the nets," said Balu. In Andhra Pradesh, the no-trawling zone extends up to 8km.
Fisheries department officials said they have no means to enforce rules. "We have no way to monitor how many of them follow the rules. We don't have GPS devices," said a fisheries department official, requesting anonymity. The rule was introduced to protect the interests of artisanal fishermen. "We take action against trawlers when we get specific complaints from smaller fishermen," he said.
In 2013, the Indian Coast Guard installed GPS devices on trawler boats as a pilot project. This was mainly to prevent fishermen from entering the Sri Lankan waters. "This is being implemented from Nagapattinam southwards. This is primarily to let fishermen know his location so that he does not cross the borer," the official said.
Fishermen said they rarely fish near the shore. "There is simply no fish. But some of us come near river mouths to catch shrimps," said K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association.
Conservationists say that turtle excluder devices are cheap and easy to install. This device lets big fish escape while smaller ones are trapped. While it costs around Rs 3,000, fishermen lose about 5% of their catch. "There is no provision in law for us to make everyone use this device," said the official said.
How Do Adult Turtles Die?
—They get caught in nets and are unable to come out for air to breath. Almost all dead turtles found on the shore are found bloated
—Injuries: Some fishermen cut off the flippers of turtles that get caught in their nets. They cannot untangle the animal without damaging their net. Without flippers, the turtles drown
—Some fishermen kill turtles to prevent them from getting caught in the future
Why Now
Between January and March, thousands of turtles congregate near the shore to nest on the beaches
What's Needed
The norm is that trawl boats are not allowed to fish within 5.5km from the shore. This should be enforced strictly. More so between January and March.
TED (turtle excluder devices): Fitted into regular nets of trawler boats. A mesh prevents the turtle from swimming further into the net. A ring top allows for an escape route for turtles and other large animals. Shrimps and smaller fishes swim through the mesh and get caught in the net
GPS devices: The only way to track movement of trawler boats. The fisheries department should make it mandatory for all boats to have these devices and ensure they do not come within 5.5km from the coast