Status and Conservation of Sea Turtles in Orissa, India

S.K. Patnaik, C.S. Kar

Abstract

Orissa is a maritime state located on the eastern coast of Indian peninsula, and is rich in natural resources. The marine turtles are represented by four species belonging to the families Cheloniidae and Dermochelidae. Results of a continuing study from 1976 to 1999 by the Wildlife Wing of Forest Department indicate that there are three important mass nesting grounds of the Olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, at the mouths of rivers Dhamra, Devi and Rushikulya. Sporadic nesting in also takes place at other locations. The rookery at Gahirmatha (Dhamra river mouth) is considered one of the largest mass nesting grounds for Olive ridleys throughout their range. The nesting beach is a protected area which forms part of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park The nearshore breeding area was also given protected area status by the State Government in 1997 and is known as the Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary. This paper outlines the present status of marine turtles and their habitats in Orissa, and highlights conservation measures in place and emerging threats, and suggests additional steps needed for turtle protection and management.

Introduction

Orissa is one of the maritime states of India, located between 17^°49'N; 81^°27'E and 22^°34'N; 87^°29'E, and bounded by the Bay of Bengal on the east (Fig. 1). It has a coastline of about 480 km from the West Bengal border (the river Subarnarekha) to the Andhra Pradesh border (the river Bahuda). The region comprises seven major river deltas of varied sizes and shapes formed by the rivers Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Bramhani, Mahanadi Rushikulya and Bahuda. The sandspits and islands at the river mouths are favourable nesting grounds for marine turtles. Based on physiographical characteristics, the state has five major morphological regions: the gions: the coastal plains, the middle mountainous and highlands region, the central plateaus, the western rolling uplands and major flood plains. It is one of the richest biodiversity regions in Southeast Asia in general and India in particular. The reptilian fauna includes 110 species belonging to 21 families (Mishra et al. 1996) which include four species of marine turtles.

Up to the early 1 970s, data on sea turtles that visited Orissa remained limited. The occurrence and abundance of Olive ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha was only known to the inhabitants of Kanika Raj, and to the local administration of Kanika and the Forest Department of Orissa (Kar 1988, Dash & Kar 1990, Chadha & Kar 1999). The existence of the large rookery became known to the scientific community only in the early 1970s (FAO 1974, Bustard 1976). Thereafter, the endangered status of sea turtles led to a number of research activities and now there is considerable data on turtle nesting in Orissa (Bustard & Kar 1981, Dani & Kar 1999; Dash & Kar 1987, Kar 1980a,b, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1999a,b,c, Kar & Bhaskar 1982; Kar & Dash 1984a,b, 1985, Kar et al. 1997, 1998, Kar & Padhi 1992, Kar & Satpathy 1996, Mishra et al. 1996, Mohanty-Hejmadi 1993, 1996, 1999, Mohanty-Hejmadi & Sahoo 1994, Pandav et al. 1994a,b, 1995, 1996a,b, 1997, Whitaker & Kar 1984). Unfortunately, knowledge on the offshore activities of adult turtles, and migratory patterns and activities of hatchlings after they leave the coast is still poor. A survey of the Orissa coast in the 1970s records coastal waters of Puri-Balukhand as the most-important turtle fishing centre of the state (Biswas 1982). Considerable amount of egg exploitation used to occur at Gahirmatha, to be shipped to Calcutta. Adult turtles, illegally captured, were also shipped to Calcutta. Today there is no commercial exploitation due to stringent actions taken by State and Central Governments since 1975. However, new threats have emerged since the mid 1 980s, such as incidental catch / intentional killing due to fishing-related activities. Both State and Central Government are concerned about this mortality and various steps are now being taken to curtail and minimise their impact.

Of the six species of sea turtles found in the Indo-Pacific region, five species are found in India. Of these, four are reported to occur in the coastal waters of Orissa. These are the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Green (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), of which the Olive ridley is the most common. All turtles are legally protected in India under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Amended 1991). India is a signatory to CITES and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and the trade of sea turtles is prohibited through these international agreements. Unauthorised capture or harassment of sea turtles or taking their eggs or disturbing their nests is prohibited and can carry fines which shall not be less than Rupees Five Thousand and imprisonment for a term which shalt not be less than one year but may extend to six years. The main constraint however, is lack of proper enforcement of the law, mainly due to lack of requisite infrastructure, manpower, equipment and resources.

Fig. 1: Location map and physiographic features of the Orissa coast.

Results of a continuing study from 1976 to 1999 by the Wildlife Wing of the State Forest Department indicated that there are three major mass nesting (arribada) beaches for Olive ridleys in Orissa, at Gahirmatha, the Devi River mouth, and the Rushikulya river mouth. There are also minor nesting grounds at the sandspits of all river mouths and islands, and sporadic nesting takes place along the entire Orissa coastline. More than half a million Olive ridley turtles nest on these three rookeries every year. Congregations of sea turtles and mass breeding occurs in the coastal waters in front of the three nesting sites. The migrating turtles arrive and congregate in the shallow coastal waters of Orissa in October, and most hatchlings emerge by May. This period coincides with the main fishing season, when turtles become vulnerable to fishing activities.

Gahirmatha

The rookery at Gahirmatha is the largest nesting ground and the Gahirmatha coastal waters are the largest breeding ground for Olive ridleys in the world (Kar 1988, Dash & Kar 1990, Kar & Satpathy 1996, Chadha & Kar 1999, Dani & Kar 1999). There was no mass nesting at Gahirmatha for two consecutive seasons (1996/97 and 1997-98). During 1998/99, Olive ridleys started mass nesting on March 12 1999 at Pentha, toward the southern end of the Gahirmatha coast. The first mass nesting lasted for two days, with 7,000 turtles nesting during day and night. A second mass nesting occurred during 21-22 April 1999, during which 28,000 turtles nested. Mass nesting also took occurred at two places in Ekakulanasi: at Nasi-II, the arribada took place on 23 March 1999 followed by mass nesting at Nasi-I from 25 March 1999. The mass nestings at Nasi I and II continued until 30 March 1999. During these arribadas, a total of 298,000 nesting attempts took place. An unique feature was that the arribada at Pentha occurred both during the day and night. In the past, the arribada was restricted mainly to the night time. The latest mass nesting may have been due to the protection measures taken by the Wildlife Wing of State Forest Department, the Indian Coast Guard and Customs Department to minimise fishing within the Sanctuary. The reduction of fishing related disturbances enabled safe emergences for turtles leading to a return of arribadas. Nesting figures for Olive ridley turtles at Gahirmatha coast are presented in Table I.

Some of the threats to sea turtles and their habitats in Orissa are:

• Loss and modification of nesting habitats due to coastal developmental activities,

•  Artificial lighting and increased illumination around nesting beaches,

• Incidental capture in fishing nets,

• Large-scale vessel movements in congregated breeding zones,

• Large scale conversion of traditional crafts into mechanised boats,

• Wide use of gill nets, and

• Changes in the land and sea use patterns in the vicinity of nesting beaches.

Table I: Estimated number of Olive ridley Sea Turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea nesting at Gahirmatha Coast, Orissa from 1984/85 to 1998/99.

 Conservation Efforts

In January 1997, the Northern Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Workshop was held in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, under the auspices of Marine Turtle Specialist Group of IUCN, CMS, NOAA, the Forest Department of the Government of Orissa and Utkal University. Representatives from nine Northern Indian Ocean countries and other international experts discussed the status of sea turtle conservation and management in the Northern Indian Ocean and drafted a Marine Turtle Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the Northern Indian Ocean. As a follow up action, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, has come forward to support the management of sea turtles and their habitats through a variety of centrally sponsored schemes such as development of National Parks and Sanctuaries, eco-development in and around Protected Areas and the GEF-assisted ecodevelopment to Parks and Sanctuaries.

Realising the global concern for sea turtles and for the urgent need to take immediate action to conserve the marine turtles of this region, the Central Government launched 'Project Turtle' along the Orissa coast in particular and the Indian coast in general with funding support from UNDP/GEF. This project derives its legislative support from the Government of India's National Biodiversity Action Plan, the Wildlife Action Plan and also the Action Plan for Conservation of mangrove forests, coral reefs, and wetlands. The primary objective of the project is to conserve globally significant marine turtle populations through a participatory approach. The Marine Turtle Conservation Project aims to devise and facilitate the implementation of sustainable marine turtle conservation strategies through education, extension, research and community participation. The main objectives of the project are to curtail the mass mortality of Olive ridley sea turtles along the Indian coast in general and Orissa coast in particular, the identification and protection of critical sea turtle habitats, the use of Turtle Exclusion Devices, effective enforcement to regulate fishing and trawling, and simultaneous implementation of eco-development plans through participatory approach by local communities. Other objectives include survey and evaluation of nesting sites and nesting seasons, breeding and feeding areas, regulation of fishing by trawlers and gill netters, control of beach erosion, control the damage by predators, control poaching of eggs from nesting beaches as well as poaching of adults from offshore coastal waters.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests provides assistance to a number of National Parks and Sanctuaries for Wildlife Conservation and their development under the centrally sponsored schemes of development, which include conservation of marine turtles at the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, the Bhitarkanika National Park, and the Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary.

An expert committee was established in 1984 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to look into various aspects of turtle conservation in the country and to suggest various methods and means for their protection.

Specific measures undertaken up by the State Government of Orissa

In the last two decades, various steps have been taken by the Wildlife Wing of Forest Department of Government of Orissa, including:

• Awarding Protected Area status from Dhamra Muhan to Barunei, Gahirmatha on 22 April 1975.

• Effectively protection at Gahirmatha mass nesting beaches since 1975/76.

• Including local people in data collection and conservation efforts since 1975/76.

• Trade of adults through Passenger/Express trains was stopped in 1975/76.

• Trade of adults through goods trains was stopped in 1977/78.

• Trade of adults (as fishery products) stopped was since in the 1980s.

• Increased vigilance in the early 1980s stopped the illegal trade of adults through roadways.

• From 1977/78 to 1982/83 poaching of adults in the high seas was curved through the involvement of the Navy, Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies through 'Operation Geeturt'.

• Public awareness campaign started via media services involving NGOs such as WWF.

• 20 km offshore Gahirmatha coastal waters declared as a 'No Fishing Zone' in 1993.

• 20 km offshore from Jatadhar Muhan to Devi river mouth, and Chilika river mouth to Rushikulya mouth declared as a ^'No Fishing Zone' in 1996/97.

•  The Northern Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Workshop held at Bhubaneswar in 1997 that resulted in the 'Orissa Declaration' and drafting of the 'Marine Turtle Conservation and Action Plan for the Northern Indian Ocean'.

• High Power Committees set up under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Orissa in 1996.

• The Gahirmatha Marine (Wildlife) Sanctuary was declared in 1997.

• Aerial Surveys, as well as onshore/offshore patrolling strengthened by Coast Guard during 1998/99 through 'Operation Olive'.

• ' Operation Kachhapa' was jointly initiated in 1998/99 by the Wildlife Wing of Orissa Forest Department, through tha Wildlife Protection Society of India with the cooperation of local conservation groups.

• Demonstrations of Turtle Exclusion Devices were carried out at Paradeep and Dhamra involving the Trawler Owners Associations, Fisheries Department and local conservation groups.

• Awareness programmes were launched involving local people, especially the fishing communities, and bringing together local conservation groups and all law enforcement agencies of the State and Central Governments.

Existing acts and rules for protection of sea turtles and their habitats in Orissa

• The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Amended, 1991).

• The Wildlife (Protection) (Orissa) Rules, 1974.

• The Central Water Pollution Act, 1974.

• The Central Water Pollution (Amendment) Act, 1978.

• The Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986

• Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ I, II & III).

• The Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982.

• The Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Rules, 1983.

• Coastal Zone Illumination (Prevention & Control) Act, and Rules (Proposed).

Further action needed to conserve marine turtles

Habitat Protection - Designation of additional conservation areas with intense sea turtle activity, such as Devi and Rushikulya rookeries, along with adjacent breeding grounds. Artificial lighting near major sea turtle nesting beaches and breeding grounds need to be stopped.

Basic Protection Measures - Offshore patrolling is needed to check the near shore mechanised fishery to minimise incidental capture. Public awareness and education programmes should be developed to involve the local communities in sea turtle conservation programs.

Management Oriented Research - Regular monitoring of important sea turtie nesting beaches as well as offshore and aerial surveys to establish population size trends. Satellite telemetry and tagging programs to study the distribution of sea turtles and other related biological aspects. Determining the impact of offshore fishing operations and coastal developmental activities on marine turtles.

Conclusions

The population of Olive ridley sea turtles in Orissa represents about 80 percent of Indian sea turtles and about 50 percent of the world population. Therefore, protection, conservation research and management of this globally important population should be high on priority list in India and the Southeast Asian region. International and regional agreements may be initiated to develop meaningful strategies and to develop suitable regional and National action plans for the protection, conservation, research and management of sea turtles. This endangered species and its critical eco-fragile habitats can be protected if donor agencies and international funding agencies come forward and provide required inputs on a priority basis as a follow up action to the Rio Declaration, the conservation and action plan for the Northern Indian Ocean, better known as the Orissa Declaration, different international conventions (CITES, CMS) and regional treaties (SAARC, ASEAN).

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge with thanks the Department of Forest and Environment, Government of Orissa and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for their support to have a long term conservation oriented research program on sea turtles in Orissa.

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