India: Olive Ridleys grow to 10-year high

Gokul Chandrasekar Express News Service 22 Apr 11;

CHENNAI: It is a prosperous year for the Olive Ridley turtles visiting Chennai’s shores. Continuous and sustained efforts of conservationists, coupled with increased support from the government officials, has resulted in a steep jump in the number of Olive Ridleys nesting on Chennai’s shores. Conservationists estimate the number of hatchlings in 2011 to be the highest in a decade.

Ever since conservationists started monitoring Olive Ridley turtles breeding along Chennai’s beaches, only the year 2000 had seen a better turnout than the present year, making this the second best breeding season ever monitored in Chennai. About 9,000 hatchlings have already been released into the sea this year and another 3,000 hatchlings are expected to be released in the next few days, taking the count close to 12,000.

“The numbers are a sharp increase from about 7,000 hatchlings released last year,” said V Arun of Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN). The number of turtles coming to South Chennai beaches to lay eggs has seen a steady increase every year since 2004, when it was at an all time low. “This could possibly be because of the deterioration of the North Chennai beaches,” explained Arun, who also felt that it was the volunteers’ efforts that was behind the success of the initiative.