Olive ridley turtles mate near Rushikulya mouth. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Nov. 23: Congregation for mating of the endangered Olive ridley turtles has started near the Rushikulya rookery.

“The congregation for mating normally starts from November and the peak time is till December 15,” said Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra. “Olive ridley turtles have arrived a few days ago for mating and we hope a good mass nesting this season,” he said. The mass nesting may begin from February second week.

“We have now initiated every step to check illegal mechanised fishing in the restricted zone. Mechanised fishing has been restricted up to 20km from the coastline from Gahirmatha to Rushikulya now. About 20 staff members of forest department, including one forester have been deployed to vigil the area and check illegal trawler activities,” he said.

The forest department is having two speedboats and one trawler. Two speedboats were provided under the World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project last year and are being used for the first time for patrolling this season.

“No trawler can beat our speedboats now. Coast Guard is active in the Odisha coastline and has seized two trawlers, which were fishing illegally. We are having nine binoculars, including two-night vision device procured last year,” DFO Mishra said.

The department will organise nine awareness camps, including four during November and five in December to sensitise the people.

Forest department has divided the whole stretch of the coastline near the Ruhsikulya rookery into 45 segments to serve as sampling points for recording data on activities of the sea turtles. We have plans to declare Rushikulya rookery an eco-sensitive zone for at least six months every year, he said.

The turtles mate up to 45 minutes. Nesting starts after 45 days of the mating. The hatchling takes place after 45 days of the nesting.

Rabindranath Sahu, secretary of the Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee, which has initiated efforts for protecting the endangered sea turtles at the Rushikulya rookery has also welcomed the steps of the forest department. “The steps taken are in right direction and we would support them,” Rabindranath Sahu said.