TREE Foundation, based in Neelankarai, has been actively working with local fishermen to raise awareness about turtle conservation. They educate fishermen on how to handle turtles caught in their nets. Despite these efforts, the number of turtle carcasses appearing on the shores continues to rise, underscoring the severity of the issue.

In a video shared on TREE Foundation’s Instagram page, an unidentified fisherman reveals the challenges, “At least 4 to 5 turtles get caught in our nets every day. Of them we find at least one turtle injured. Their capture injures our nets too as they get torn,” he says. He explains that they no longer pull nets by hand, but use the winch. Additionally, the lack of space on their small boats prevents them from providing care to the injured turtles. “We see that the turtle is weak, but we have no room in our boats. So, we release it back into the ocean,” he adds and laments, “Anywhere we go to fish, turtles are getting caught in the nets!”

Dr.Supraja Dharini, from TREE Foundation, explained, “Commercial fishing vessels use both trawl nets and gill nets. Turtles get caught in these nets and are unable to come up to breathe. Turtles have to surface every 40-45 minutes to breathe. When they get trapped in trawl nets or entangled in gill nets they cannot come to the surface and thus drown and die. When the nets are drawn, the dead turtles are thrown back into the sea and, from there washed ashore. This is truly heartbreaking. We are very sad.”

She added, “The Tamil Nadu Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (TNMFRA) should be effectively enforced by the Fisheries Department to mandate that commercial fisheries, including trawlers, operate beyond 8 nautical miles from the shore. This regulation is crucial to safeguard artisanal fisheries, whose sustainable practices are also vital for protecting migratory sea turtles.

TREE Foundation is closely monitoring the beaches and documenting the details of the turtle deaths. The organization is also calling for volunteers to assist in their conservation efforts. Concerned individuals can lend their support by contacting TREE Foundation at 94443 06411 or 24496411. For more information and to learn how you can help, visit their website: treefoundationindia.org.

Let’s come together to protect these majestic marine creatures and ensure they continue to thrive along our coasts.

More about the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles

Olive Ridley Turtles are protected in India under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. They are also protected under the Migratory Species Convention and the Convention of International Trade on Wildlife Flora and Fauna (CITES). 

Multiple reports state that over the decade their population has nearly halved. The World Wildlife Federation states, “Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.”  These turtles play a vital ecological role as one of the few predators of jellyfish, which pose a threat to fish stocks. Their conservation is crucial not only for marine biodiversity but also for the fishing industry that relies on balanced ecosystems.

India’s east coast, including Chennai, is a significant nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles. During nesting season, which peaks in January and February, female turtles return to the very beaches where they were born to lay eggs. This phenomenon, known as arribada, sees up to 600,000 turtles emerge from the sea over five to seven days to nest.

The recent surge in turtle deaths poses a dire threat to this fragile cycle. The loss of even a few hundred turtles can have a profound impact on their population recovery.

Currently, apart from the awareness programmes, there is an urgent need for the government to act on the issue and look for safe fishing practices – one where the turtles are not harmed.

Out of these, the most prominent  visitors are Olive-Ridley turtles, commonly nesting along the Coromandel coast and are known to forage in south Tamil Nadu waters, whereas nesting by other species of turtles is rare at present.

Every year, preparations for sea turtle season begins in Tamil Nadu in the month of November. Forest Department undertakes preparatory works, including making temporary hatcheries, organisation of orientation programme for the staff and inter-departmental coordination meetings followed by daily  night patrolling operations along with NGOs like Students Sea Turtle Conservation Nesting (SSTCN) and other volunteers along with the staff and watchers of the Forest Department, specifically appointed for the purpose, wherein nests are identified and relocated in Forest Department hatcheries.  

This year during the Turtle nesting season the department established 53 hatcheries spread over in 8 divisions of 13 coastal districts. A total of 2363 nests were collected with 2,58,775 eggs, which were meticulously translocated to departmental hatcheries. Monitoring was carried out 24/7 in all these hatcheries right from the translocation till release of every hatchling. While doing so all the parameters were recorded including temperature of all the nests. The department released 2,15,778 hatchings this year, which is the highest ever recorded so far. Last year 1,82,917 hatchlings were released.

Districts of Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Chennai saw the largest release at Cuddalore – 89648, Nagapattinam – 60438 and Chennai – 38230 respectively. This year, 185 field staff of the department and 264 volunteers actively participated in this Conservation exercise. In order to bolster the efforts of the Department, the Government of Tamil Nadu has already announced setting up of Sea-Turtle Conservation Centres at Chennai and Nagapattinam, which will further give impetus to the conservation efforts towards these species.

However, the beach falls in the category of Coastal Regulation Zone 1 (CRZ 1) and thus any construction there is illegal. CRZ 1 are ecologically sensitive areas that are essential in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. This includes natural parks, sanctuaries, reserve forests, wildlife habitats, mangroves, coral reefs, breeding and spawning grounds of marine life, heritage areas, areas rich in genetic diversity, areas likely to be inundated by the rise in sea levels, and the areas between low and high tide lines.

The beaches from Marina to Uthandi, which are home to the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, come under CRZ 1A and 1B. As per the Ministry of Environment and Forest, “No new construction shall be permitted within 500 metres of the High Tide Line. No construction activity, except facilities for carrying treated effluents and wastewater discharges into the sea, facilities for carrying seawater for cooling purposes, oil, gas and similar pipelines, will be permitted between the Low Tide Line and the High Tide Line.” Any other construction is a violation.

Highlighting considerable dissent about the situation, the residents along with Charu Govindan (Coordinator of Voice of People), V.Srinivasan (environmental activist and Convenor of Save Pallikaranai Marshland Forum) and C.Srinivasan (Puduvellam) shared with Adyar Times a copy of the letter addressed to the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner,  Chairperson Chennai District Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Secretary of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Tamilnadu and Chairperson State Coastal Zone Management Authority. With the letter, action is sought immediately!

The letter states:

We draw your urgent attention and intervention on the dumping of construction debris and the formation of a new illegal road on the beach near Arupadai Murugan temple, Besant Nagar.

An illegal new road is being formed to be laid after dumping of debris closer to the beach shoreline and near Arupadai Murugan Kovil, under Ward 179. This is in complete violation of the CRZ.

We are surprised to see how such new illegal roads in violation of CRZ are being formed and laid without the approval of Corporation Council resolutions, approval from the District and State CRZ/ Management Authority and the prior approval and sanction of the Tamilnadu government.

Similar attempts made a few years back to form such illegal new roads and beach beautification proposals along the coastal stretches from Thiruvanmiyur up to Uthandi and within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits were stalled after judicial interventions / judgements of the Madras High Court.

The AD & Inspectors of the Fisheries Department, Forest Range Officer, Chengalpattu, the Coast Guard, Marine Police personnel, and Inspector of Police, Cheyyur, along with the volunteers from the local fishing communities and youth participated in the workshop.

The TREE Foundation conducted the workshop as a large number of dead turtles have been reported due to entanglement in fishing gears and ghost nets-related injuries. The workshop aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the local youth fishing community in identifying, recording, measuring, conserving and releasing marine megafauna, including dolphins, whales, sharks, rays, and turtles from fishing gear and ghost nets. 

The workshop also provided the fishermen and participants with an excellent opportunity to interact, exchange and share ideas and thus strengthen the network with other enforcement agencies that are charged with the protection of the marine environment and endangered marine life.

The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Supraja Dharini, the founder and chairperson of TREE Foundation, who has been actively involved in the community-based sea turtle conservation programme for the past 21 years. Dr. Dharini shared her expertise and experience on the biology, ecology, threats, and conservation of marine megafauna, especially sea turtles. 

The senior Sea Turtle Protection Force members also demonstrated the techniques and protocols for recording, handling, measuring, and releasing endangered marine animals safely and humanely back to sea. Although some of the fishermen have already been identifying and releasing several sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks that were entangled in fishing nets and ghost nets at sea, it is important to expand the program to motivate and bring the majority of fishermen under its fold.

During the workshop the fishermen participants also learned how to record data: the GPS location, the nautical miles, what net or ghost net the species was observed entangled in and video record the marine megafauna incidents to the respective STPF who share the same to the TREE Foundation office. The data will then be shared with the relevant authorities.

The workshop also included practical demonstration sessions, where the participants were taken to the nearby estuary to practise the process and record the marine megafauna sightings and release of entangled marine animals using models of marine animals.

As the city celebrates the many festivals across the city, it often forgets to respect the very living beings and nature that the festivals celebrate. During Pongal, the Chennai Sangamam was celebrated throughout Chennai and one of the locations was Elliot’s beach. The celebrations were on for 4 days – Jan 14 to 17, from 6 pm to 9 pm. 

The months of January and February are also the turtle nestling season. The Chennai coast is an active breeding ground for the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, and Elliot’s Beach is one of them. Such loud activity is known to hamper the nestling season. 

The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) is a voluntary group, mainly comprising students and young adults who have been working in the beaches of Chennai since 1987, trying to conserve and create awareness about the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle. 

Activists are already concerned with the high mast lamp at the Elliot’s and Thiruvanmiyur beaches that remain lit for most part of the night. The activities at the beach till beyond sunset adds to the disorientation for the turtles.

“On one hand the government announces a Coastal Restoration Mission, sea turtle rehab centre & conservation and stopping of marine pollution, and on the other hand facilitates mindless noise, light and land pollution! Such illuminated and noisy events have adverse impacts if conducted on the beach. After dusk, the beach should have minimal lighting sufficient for the safety of beachgoers. Even the current bright lamps of the shops towards the shore and the so-called amusement park need to be stopped,” says Dr.T.D.Babu, Co-Founder of civic body Spark and a marine biologist, while pointing out that the celebrations are ill-timed at Elliot’s beach, “Trutles are worst affected during this period whereas other marine/coastal living communities are affected throughout the year due to light and noise pollution besides land pollution.” He adds that Elliot’s beach is already strained with the umpteen activities carried on there, resulting in the degradation of its ecology – rampant littering, uprooting of the Goat Feet creeper and destroyed sand dunes.

Know more about Olive Ridley Turtles

The olive ridley gets its name from the olive green colour of its heart-shaped shell. The species is among the smallest of the world’s sea turtles and is found primarily in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. In India, they nest on the east coast. The nesting season is from Jan to March in Tamilnadu. Turtle walks are conducted during this season from the Neelankarai beach to Elliot’s beach wherein the eggs are collected and safeguarded at hatcheries and released later in May.

Olive ridley turtles are found throughout the world. The number of olive ridleys has greatly reduced from historical estimates (for example, 10 million olive ridleys in the Pacific Ocean), due to overexploitation for turtle meat and eggs.  Bycatch in fishing gear and the direct harvest of turtles and eggs are the biggest threats facing Olive Ridleys.

Organisations working towards their conservation in Chennai are Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (sstcn.org) and Tree Foundation (treefoundationindia.org).

Know more about Goat’s Feet creeper

The Goat’s Feet (Ipomoea pes-caprae; Attukaal in Tamil) is an evergreen creeper and is a primary sand stabilizer, being one of the first plants to colonise dunes. It grows on sand dunes and beaches above the high tide line in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a useful sand binder, thriving under conditions of sandblast and salt spray. Its leaves are used to relieve stings and bites from insects, stingrays and snakes as well as a cure for skin irritations, boils, skin infections, ringworm and haemorrhoids.

How do beach sand dunes protect us?

The ocean and the wind can have an unpredictable, destructive force on coastal regions, and sand dunes protect inland areas from swells, tides, and winds apart from preventing or minimising coastal flooding and structural damage. They must thus be protected. 

A research paper at Horizon – The EU Research and Innovation magazine, explains, “‘Dunes are keepers of sand, they are reservoirs,’ said Freitas. ‘When there are bigger and stronger waves during storms, the sand is taken from the beach, which creates an underwater barrier, so the next waves will be blocked.’ Eventually, over weeks or months, more gentle waves gradually return the eroded sand from offshore to the beach. This fluctuating of the shoreline backwards and forwards over time is a normal coastal process that is hardly noticeable in normal times but can be dramatic during storms.” (https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/sand-dunes-offer-clues-coastal-erosion-and-how-prevent-it.)

While countries like the Netherlands, USA and Australia are launching projects to protect the sand dunes on the beaches, in India, in a first, a panchayat at Goa (Varca local panchayat) has taken the initiative to restore a sand dune after it was destroyed due to illegal actions. Tourism and related activities are said to have corroded at least 27% of Goa’s beaches. (https://www.gomantaktimes.com/opinion/the-destruction-of-goas-sand-dunes.)

More than 600 volunteers including – volunteers from Indian Coast Guard,  college and school students, National Cadet Corps, and Corporates, participated in the coastal clean-up activity, and collected around 500 kgs of garbage.

Dr. Supraja Dharini, the Chairperson of the TREE Foundation, discussed with the participants the multiple threats posed by plastic waste and ghost nets in our oceans. She vividly explained the dangers these environmental hazards pose to marine life, emphasising how creatures such as sea turtles and marine mammals often mistake plastic bags for their favourite prey, leading to tragic consequences.  Many student volunteers expressed their eagerness to contribute to raising awareness about responsible disposal of litter. 

International Coastal Clean-up Day is celebrated world over to instil a sense of responsibility among the general public on the problem of garbage dumped into the sea and its ill-effects on marine life.

The fishermen of Periya Neelankarai fishing village informed T.A.Pugalarasan, TREE Foundations Senior Sea Turtle Protection Force member, that they had spotted over 20 whale sharks off their coast on 9th forenoon. Yet again around 4 p.m. the fishermen noticed one lone juvenile whale shark swimming in just one location and informed Pugalarasan. He immediately informed the TREE Foundation Team to come for a survey to understand the reason for the whale sharks presence in the near shore waters, and that too in one location. The Marine Mammal Conservation, Stranding and Rescue team from TREE Foundation responded to the call immediately.

The team recognised the animal as a juvenile Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). We observed that its mouth contained rows of tiny teeth and few filter pads which it uses to filter feed. Whale Sharks have five large pairs of gills. Its head is wide and flat with two small eyes at the front. Whale sharks are grey with a white belly. The skin is marked with pale yellow spots and stripes which are generally unique to each individual. The Whale Shark had three prominent ridges along its sides.

Again on the 10th morning the fishermen of Periya Neelankarai observed a Whale Shark near the shore in the same location. After observing the animal for a long time once again Pugalarasan called the TREE Foundation Team.

As the sea was much calmer today (June 11), the team were able to observe the animal more clearly. Once again without any hesitation, Pugalarasan, who is the 2017 World Oceans Local Hero runner up, dived into the water to observe if the animal was entangled in any ghost nets or was injured. He returned once he was sure that the animal was not entangled in any gear or injured. The team bid adieu to the young whale shark at location coordinates – N.12 0 57.301, E 80 0 15.895.

The Whale Shark is the largest non-cetacean animal in the world. It inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate seas. Primarily pelagic, seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites. The whale shark is a filter feeder. It feeds on macroalgae, plankton, krill and small nektonic life, such as small squid or vertebrates. The many rows of vestigial teeth play no role in feeding. Feeding occurs either by ram filtration, in which the animal opens its mouth and swims forward, pushing water and food into the mouth, or by active suction feeding, in which the animal opens and closes its mouth, sucking in volumes of water that are then expelled through the gills. In both cases, the filter pads serve to separate food from water. Whale sharks have been observed “coughing”, presumably to clear a build-up of particles from the filter pads. They migrate to feed and possibly to breed. The biological characteristics of the Whale Shark make it extremely susceptible to overexploitation. Its large size, longevity and slow growth mean that recruitment is limited and also suggests that populations are slow to recover from disturbances. It is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, in the medium-term future.

Helpful citizens are requested to contact TREE Foundation at 94443 06411, 94440 52242 or coordinator.tn@treefoundationindia.org , treefoundation2020@gmail.com, when they see any dead or alive stranded marine animals along the coast.

TREE Foundation is at 5/25 Blue Beach Road, Neelankarai, Chennai: 600 115, Contact No: 91 94443 06411. For more check out www.treefoundationindia.org | Facebook Page: Tree Foundation India.

Related articles on the efforts of Tree Foundation:

• A call to save the endangered Olive Ridley by TREE Foundation

TREE Foundation, on Feb.25, organised a memorial service for sea turtles at the Neelankarai beach. The day marks the 9th anniversary when 824 sea turtles lost their lives around the Penna Estuary, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Additionally another 122 turtles sadly died this year in the 2022-2023 season along the Chennai and Chengalpattu coast. The team gathered in memory of the lost lives. 

On the occasion, the team created a giant sand model of the Olive Ridley turtle. Speaking about the death of the sea turtles in Andhra Pradesh that happened on Feb.22, 2014, a statement from TREE Foundation read, “As word came in from other Protection Force members, very sad pictures of the turtles began to appear. After spending much time removing, marking and counting the dead turtles, a total of 824 deaths were recorded. For our Sea Turtle Protection Force members and volunteers, this was devastating news. Working tirelessly from January to May every year to safeguard endangered nesting turtles, this was a nightmare unfolding in front of their eyes, the largest ever mass stranding of endangered turtles along our coast on a single day. All the turtles had died due to drowning in about 40 trawl mechanised boats that were illegally fishing within 2 kms from the shore violating the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act. Trawl mechanised boats should conduct fishing beyond 8 km from the shore.”

Members of the TREE Foundation relived the trauma with the death of 122 turtles again this season. At the memorial service Tree Foundation shared the below message: 

On that tragic day 9 years ago, 824 sea turtles lost their lives needlessly, due to the completely selfish actions of some people. For the last 20 years, all of us at TREE Foundation and the various departments working with us have worked ceaselessly to protect and preserve endangered sea turtles. Imagine how heartbreaking it was for our STPF patrol teams to witness so many dead turtles washed ashore.

Years of conservation efforts had been set back overnight leaving us with no option but to double down on our conservation efforts to protect these ancient reptiles. Despite the scenes they were confronted with, the STPF put on a brave face and gathered all the deceased turtles so they could be given a proper burial and have respect shown for their remains.

Some will survive, fighting off the extinction of their species, and someday they may make a recovery – it is our job to ensure they are given the best possible chance of surviving. This we do through our patrols, protecting turtles and nests. We regularly interact with the state departments who enforce the laws to improve protection for endangered marine wildlife.

What we cannot do unfortunately, is anticipate and stop every trawler that is fishing illegally and every fisherman using nets set for ray fish causing sea turtles to drown. Through the activities of a few selfish individuals, many suffer. At TREE Foundation we are pressing state departments for increased monitoring of trawl boats and strict enforcement of fishering regulations by the fisheries department.

Bad things happen. They always have and they always will. How we will be judged will be determined by how we react. We can become hopeless and feel like giving up, but as we gather here at this memorial today, I urge you to stand strong in the face of adversity.

We are the guardians of the planet for generations of all life forms, both human and all other species of life we are surrounded by. We have a duty to ourselves today, and to those who will follow us tomorrow. We can turn things around, and we can make things better. We will make things better. We will not give up.

Let us now send positive energy to all the turtles out there in the ocean.

Let us leave here today knowing our efforts and choices, can and do, make a difference. We can protect sea turtles, we can protect the oceans, the planet’s life support system, and in so doing, we can protect ourselves.

Tree Foundation is based out of Sri Kapaleeswarar Nagar, Neelankarai. Ph: 94443 06411 and 22496411.