From bmwildlife@HOTMAIL.COM Sun Jan  2 14:20:01 2005
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 11:46:32 -0500
From: Biswajit Mohanty 
To: nathistory-india@Princeton.EDU
Subject: Turtle casualties mount in Orissa

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Following news appeared in The Statesman dt. 31.12.2004 :

Dead Ridley count worries experts

Statesman News Service
CUTTACK, Dec. 30. ^× With increasing number of dead Olive Ridley turtles
being washed ashore along the Orissa coast since November, the wildlife
experts are concerned afresh. They have expressed apprehensions that the
turtle casualties estimated to have crossed the one thousand mark during
the last two months would register a quantum rise in January.

The apprehensions are not altogether without reason. Turtle congregations
for mating had been spotted off the Nasi Islands, Devi River mouth and
Rushikulya river mouth. The turtles are expected to move ashore for
nesting on the beaches during the month of January. Operation Kachhapa
Coordinator Mr Biswajit Mohanty said thr dead turtles had been spotted at
the mouth of the Devi, Jatadhar, Harishpur, Chandrabhaga and Ramchandi
area and beaches bordering the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.

At least 1,000 dead turtles had reportedly been killed during the last two
months. While 70 dead turtles were counted at the Chandrabhaga-Ramchandi
more than 400 dead turtles were counted between the mouth of the Devi and
Paradip. An estimated 500 turtles were killed in the marine sanctuary
area, latest Operation Kachhapa reports claimed.

Wildlife activists warned that the turtle casualty would continue to rise
if day and night patrolling is not stepped up with the speed boats to
check fishing by trawlers in the prohibited zone along the coast. The WSO
secretary regretted that the Olive Ridleys continue to be killed along the
Orissa coast despite directions of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC)
of the Supreme Court to protect them. Several directions were passed in
April 2004 by the CEC.

The state government was expected to implement them as a part of the
measures to provide protection to the endangered sea turtles from the
onslaught of fishing trawlers operating illegally along the Orissa coast.
Though an embargo had been clamped on fishing within 20 kms of the
coastline between November and May rampant fishing is being reported from
near the mouth of the Devi and Rushikulya.

The CEC had directed that Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) be put to
mandatory use. But not a single trawler operating in the Orissa coast was
using them during the current season taking advantage of the lack of
patrolling by the fisheries department. The patrolling has been of
sporadic nature with the help of old and slow fishing trawlers.

^ÓAn amount of rupees one crore which was given by the Indian Oil
Corporation for turtle protection has been lying unutilised for four
years. Since the mechanisms for use of the funds has been finalised by the
forest department, the execution of the protection plan, including
acquisition of equipment and patrol boats should be completed before the
start of next nesting season^Ô, the CEC had directed in April this year.

The ministry of agriculture had passed on Rs 1 crore to the Orissa
Fisheries Department to purchase fast moving patrol boats. ^ÓIt is
imperative that the shallow and high sea patrol boats are acquired
urgently so that they can be utilised to patrol the no fishing zones in
Gahirmatha, Devi and Rushikulya during the next season,^Ô the CEC had
further observed in its report.

^ÓAt least two fast boats must be located at each site, one of which could
be used to undertake night patrolling during the turtle congregation and
nesting period. These fast patrol boats should have Global Positioning
System (GPS) fitted to identify location of errant fishing boats.
The staff should be adequately trained in reading marine maps and know
their locations and distances from the boundaries of prohibited fishing
area,^Ô the CEC had
directed.


Biswajit Mohanty,
Operation Kachhapa

Dated : 31st December,2004