BENGALURU, India — A troubling wave of dead sea turtles has been washing up on the eastern coast of India, with environmentalists and local authorities working urgently to halt the grim toll, which has reached 600. The primary cause behind the alarming turtle deaths in Chennai appears to be overfishing practices offshore, accidentally ensnaring these marine creatures in fishing nets. This situation has ignited discussions and widespread frustration among residents concerning measures to prevent further fatalities. In response, local government officials have ramped up their efforts to monitor illegal fishing activities following the surge in turtle carcasses along the shore.
The current crisis marks the highest incidence of sea turtle deaths since 2014 when over 900 olive ridley turtles were discovered lifeless along the southern coastline of India.
Fishers in Chennai express that increasingly harsh environmental conditions, including warmer and more turbulent waters, have heightened operational costs and expanded difficulty in reaching productive fishing grounds. “With rising fuel prices, our trawlers incur expenses nearing 500,000 rupees ($5,784) on every outing,” shared M.E. Raghupathi, a fisherman with over five decades in the industry. He lamented the tragic loss of turtles, which his community reveres, yet emphasized the need to earn a living as a paramount concern.
Raghupathi, a former leader of a provincial trawler association, remarked that the technology associated with fishing boats and nets was devised by government-sponsored research agencies, but lamented that these designs remain outdated, tracing back to the 1960s. “If the government can provide us with modern technology to avert these turtle deaths, we would welcome it,” he asserted.
Another local fisher, K. Bharathi, pointed out a drastic decline in fish populations in the Bay of Bengal over recent decades, attributing it to the warming waters brought on by climate change and unsustainable fishing practices. “The fish we used to catch here 25 years ago are no longer present, forcing larger boats into less suitable areas,” he explained. Bharathi advocated for strategies to boost fish populations, such as the establishment of artificial coral reefs, which would alleviate competition and also help protect turtles indirectly.
Scientific research has shown that climate change is exacerbating the risks of more severe and unpredictable cyclones along the Indian coastline.
Despite regulations designed to safeguard turtles, enforcement has been lax. A local ordinance instituted in 2016 prohibits large trawls from operating within five nautical miles of the coastline during turtle nesting periods and mandates the use of turtle excluder devices to facilitate the escape of turtles caught in fishing nets.
Manish Meena, the city’s wildlife warden, noted that authorities have recently intensified efforts to protect turtles. “We are on high alert and are actively working to educate fishers about the importance of releasing any turtles caught in their nets. All relevant government agencies are collaborating to tackle this issue,” he stated.
Authorities are also promoting the adoption of turtle excluder devices, which are essentially frameworks made of metal bars or mesh integrated into the design of fishing nets. However, Raghupathi raised concerns that these devices may allow fish to escape too, thus affecting their already dwindling catches. “We require additional solutions, such as cameras in our nets, that would not compromise our fish yield,” he emphasized.
In the wake of increased media attention on the turtle mortality rates, India’s National Green Tribunal, the premier court for environmental issues in the country, has warned of implementing a complete ban on fishing during turtle nesting season unless compliance with fishing regulations is assured.
The olive ridley turtle is classified as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss, marine pollution, and the threat of becoming trapped in fishing gear. Their eggs, which require about two months to hatch, face dangers from increasing land activities along coastlines, rising temperatures, and light pollution that can disorient hatchlings.
Every year, over 500,000 turtles nest on beaches further north in Odisha state, a phenomenon known as Arribada. However, it is estimated that only 1 in every 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. Supraja Dharini, founder of the Tree Foundation, a turtle conservation entity, expressed optimism about coalescing turtle conservation with sustainable fishing. “What benefits small, artisanal fishers is often beneficial for turtles as well,” she concluded.
