Lok Sabha Question No. 907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-14
Subject: Olive Ridley Turtles
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.907

TO BE ANSWERED ON  14.12.2018

## Olive Ridley Turtles

## 907. SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the population of Olive Ridley Turtles, whose habitat is the Eastern Coast of India, is facing a rapid decline in the recent years, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  their  habitats  or  colonies  have  been  declared  as  sanctuaries  protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  it  is  true  that  trawling  is  permitted  in  the  habitats  of  the  Olive  Ridley Turtles which causes their rapid deaths, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has issued any directive insisting upon the use of Turtle Exclusive Devices in the nets used by the finishing trawlers so as to prevent the deaths of the Olive Ridley Turtles, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the proactive steps taken by the Government to prevent the large-scale killing of these animals by fishing trawlers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) As per the information received from the eastern coastal states of India, there is no decline in the population of Olive Ridley Turtles.
- (b) Yes,  Madam.  The  areas  frequented  by  the  Olive  Ridley  turtles  for  nesting purpose have been declared as Sanctuaries/National Parks under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. List of  such Sanctuaries/National Parks are as follows:
- i. Cuthbert Bay Wildlife Sanctuary,
- ii. Galathea Bay Wildlife Sanctuary,
- iii. Ross Island Wildlife Sanctuary ,
- iv. Cinque Islands Wildlife Sanctuary,
- v. Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary,
- vi. Paget Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- vii. Kyd Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- viii. North Reef Island WLS,
- ix. Patric Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- x. Reef Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xi. East Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xii. Brush Island Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xiii. Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xiv. Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xv. Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xvi. Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xvii. Pulicate Wildlife Sanctuary,
- xviii. Gulf of Mannar National Park,
- xix. Mahatama Gandhi Marine (Wandoor) National Park,

xx. Rani Jhansi Marine National Park.

- (c) No Madam. As informed by the State Governments, trawling is not permitted in the habitats of Olive Ridley Turtle during the specified periods.
- (d) Directive has been issued by the respective State Governments for use for Turtle Excluding  Devices  (TED)  in  the  nets  use  by  the  fishing  trawlers.  The  State Fisheries  and  Animal  Resource  Development  (  FARD)  Department,  Govt.  of Odisha  has  issued  necessary  directions  to  use  Turtle  Excluder  Device.  The Tamil  Nadu  Marine  Fishing  Regulation  Act,  1983  (TMFRA)  directs  that  no trawl  nets  to  be  used  without  fixing  TED  during  the  specified  period.  The Government of Andhra Pradesh is providing TEDs to fisherman for installation purpose.
- (e) Details of steps taken by the Government to prevent the large-scale killing of these animals by fishing trawlers are:
1.    There  is  statutory  ban  on  fishing  in  the  Gahirmatha  Marine  Wildlife Sanctuary area and in restricted fishing zones which is being enforced for seven months starting from 1 st November each year to 31 st May of next year, commensurate with the nesting season.
2. Strict vigil on all important nesting beaches has been  made  by establishing on shore monitoring and surveillance camps.
3. Off shore patrolling and surveillance camps have been set up near mass breeding  and  congregation  areas  in  the  sea.  Patrolling  squads,  each under a forest Ranger, have been pressed into service from the off-shore camps  for  this  purpose,  and  each  squad  is  provided  with  a  hired  / Departmental trawler and a support patrol boat for patrolling around the turtle  congregation  zones  in  the  sea.  Coast  Guard,  Paradip  have  also been  patrolling  in  the  Marine  Sanctuary  area.  ITR/  DRDO  authorities have  suitably  instructed  their  concerned  officers  to  check  that  fishing vessels do not enter inside the Marine Sanctuary from the neighboring States and Country.
4. APR force are provided every year by the State Police head Quarters at the  disposal  of  DFOs  of  coastal  Forest  Divisions  (Bhadrak,  Rajngar, Puri and Berhampur) to maintain law and order situation and strict vigil through round the clock sea patrolling.
5. Berthing facilities with provision for safety and security have been built up at Barunei, Gupti, Sasanapeta and Krushnapriyapur by the Wildlife Division, Rajnagar for boats seized within Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Paradip Port Trust authorities have allowed parking of seized

vessels in the fishing harbour at Paradeep.

6. Monthly meetings are regularly held for close rapport building amongst the officials of Forest, Fisheries and the Police Departments as also the Coast Guard.
7. VHF communication directly with Coast Guard ship has been arranged to apprehend outlaws.
8. Range  Officers  of  coastal  Forest  Divisions  have  been  declared  as authorised officers under the OMFR Act to seized illegal fishing vessels entering in to the prohibited fishing zones in the Odisha coastal waters.
9. Govt. in Law department (vide No. V-LR-1/05/2630/ dated 22.2.2005 & No.  13130  dated  23.8.2005)  have  appointed  six  numbers  of  Special Public  Prosecutors  for  six  coastal  districts  (viz.  Kendrapara,  Puri, Ganjam, Balesore, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur districts) to conduct the prosecution cases relating to sea turtles.
10. Co-ordination  meetings  are  organised  with  local  fishing  communities regularly to ensure their support in protection of Olive Ridley Turtles.
11. Steps are taken to mobilize and motivate the users (sources of residential and industrial  light  sources  influencing  sea  turtles)  to  suitably  dim  the lights  during  the  mass  nesting  and  emergence  of  turtle  hatchlings. ITR/DRDO base at outer Wheeler islands has been requested to suitably dim the lights during the turtle season as well as for adopting 'blackout' practices during the mass nesting and emergence of turtle hatchlings.
12. A High Level Committee has been constituted by the State Government under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Odisha for reviewing the sea turtle protection activities from time to time for coordinating among various  Departments  of  Odisha  Government,  Indian  Coast  Guard, IRT/DRDO, Port Authorities and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The committee sits every year before nesting season and takes stock of the different activities to be executed for the forthcoming nesting season.
13. A state level meeting on protection and conservation of Olive Ridley sea turtles is being conducted every year regarding protection and conservation  of  Olive  Ridley  Sea  turtles,  with  various  stake  holders comprising NGOs / CBOs of the sea turtle nesting area to obtain their feedback and seek their support in sea turtle conservation.
9. 14 A  web  portal  for  monitoring  sporadic  nesting  and  mortality  of  Olive Ridley  sea  turtles  (manage.odishawildlife.org)  is  in  place  to  monitor sporadic  nesting  and  turtle  mortality  on  real  time  basis  based  on  field reporting.
15. The Fisheries and ARD Department, Government of Odisha have issued one time notification vide Fisheries and ARD Department Notification No.12312/FARD  /  Dated  12.11.2014  for  prohibition  of  fishing  by motorized vessels, trawlers and mechanized fishing techniques within 20

Kms. from the following specified coast of the sea comprising the sea turtle  congregation  area  and  their  buffer  zones  in  the  vicinity  of  the following three river mouths of the Odisha coast for the period from 1st November to 31 st May (both days inclusive) every year.

- (a) Dhamara river mouth
- (b) Devi river mouth
- (c) Rushikulya river mouth

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