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Marine Turtle Newsletter 15:2-3, © 1980
Chandra Sekhar Kar
Gahirinatha Sea Turtle Project, Forest Dept., Govt. of Orissa
Satabhaya 754 225 (Via Rajnagar), Cuttack District, Orissa, India
Davis & Bedi (1978) and Davis et al. (1978) have drawn attention to the rookery of the olive ridley along the 35 km stretch of coast commonly called Gahirmatha, which forms a part of the Bhitar Kanika Wildlife Sanctuary in the State of Orissa, on the east coast of India. I have been carrying out investigations since 1976 and have been staying close to the rookery since 1977. Available information indicates that this is one of the largest nesting grounds of olive ridley turtles in the world. Although adult females are encountered on the beach practically throughout the year, the arribada is observed in February or March, when more than 100,000 females reach the coast. In other months the number of females encountered on the beach is less than 100 per month. During 1976, when detailed studies were initiated, over 150,000 females were estimated to be involved in the arribada. The numbers are so large and the number of trained personnel available to make the counts so limited, that it is not possible to give more precise figures, but there is no doubt that the above figures are close to the actuals. Counting is done on the basis of a sampling technique suggested by Dr. H. R. Bustard, FAO Consultant-cum-Chief Technical Advisor to the Government of India, under whose guidance the work is being carried out. During 1977, the numbers were even larger. Davis et al. (1978) are not correct in their statement that not a single turtle arrived on this beach during the 1977 nesting season. They visited part of the rookery on one day in February 1977. During the 1978 season, the number of females which reached the rookery was more than 200,000; during 1979, the number was 133,000.
It may be mentioned that the arribada takes place during the period when the coastal surface currents run parallel to the coast in a northeasterly direction (Ganapati & Murthy, 1954). This is also the period when the coastal waters support a good fishery for small, pelagic fishes like clupeids, engraulids, leiognathids, etc. (Dr. S. Dutt, pers. comm.). Until recent years, fishermen mainly from the neighbouring State of West Bengal were regularly capturing the adults at sea and collecting the eggs. From 1975, the Government of Orissa has prohibited the collection and sale of eggs as well as capture of adults; though some poaching still takes place, the collection of eggs has practically stopped. Fishermen operating traditional non-mechanised fishing craft as well as mechanised vessels continue to capture adults at sea, in the absence of any effective agency to enforce the regulations. A new threat during the last 5 years has come from the increasing number of small shrimp trawlers operating along the continental shelf from ports in West Bengal, or Orissa and Andhra. At this time it can be assumed that they capture turtles only incidentally but since turtles fetch an attractive price in Calcutta, the trawlermen may be tempted to catch increasing numbers during their movement to the beach for laying eggs.
The female ridleys which reach the beach at Gahirmatha have been tagged since 1978 with Monel tags. So far, more than 2000 females have been tagged; the tags are attached to the trailing edge of the left fore-flipper. The tag carries on one side the serial number beginning from 1 and on the other side the legend: REWARD RETURN FOREST DEPARTMENT, ORISSA, INDIA. So far, there have been only 5 returns: 5 tagged in March 1978 were recaptured within a distance of 3 km in February 1979, thus providing evidence of the females returning to the same nesting grounds and of annual nesting.
In the course of my survey of the Orissa coast I have observed that there are also nesting grounds further south at Barunei Muhana, Hukitola Island, Astaranga, Chandravaga, Puri, Paluru and Gopalpur-on-Sea. Only Gahirmatha and Hukitola Island are subject to relatively low levels of capture of adult female turtles from the nesting beach and poaching of eggs from nests. In the other areas the rookeries are in danger of being destroyed in the near future because of inadequate numbers of trained personnel to enforce the legislation and due to increasing fishing activity and settlement of people in hitherto sparsely inhabited regions. The work on turtles along the Orissa coast has been possible because of the active support and encouragement given by the Chief Conservator of Forests and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State of Orissa. It gives me great pleasure to express my thanks to Dr. H. R. Bustard who initiated me in this study.
Davis, T.A., R. Bedi & G.M. Oza. 1978. Environ. Cons, 5(3): 211-212.
Davis, T.A. & R. Bedi. 1978. Environ. Awareness, 1(2): 63-66.
Ganapati, P.N. & V.S.R. Murthy. 1954. Mem. Oceanogr., Andhra University Series (49), 1: 125-141.