Sea Turtle Conservation

The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network is a voluntary group working on olive ridley sea turtle conservation from 1988-89 on a 14 Km stretch of beach in Chennai city. In earlier years poaching of eggs was a major motivator for volunteers to take up this ex-situ conservation work. Later, the growing city with its brightly lit beaches and stray dogs became a major problem for emerging hatchlings and are an important reason for ensuring the protection of every turtle nest on the beach.
Objectives: 1. Conservation of Olive Ridley Sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) especially on and off the coast of Chennai. 2. Awareness creation among students and general public 3. Protection of the coast and nearshore areas
Implementation: Sea turtle nesting begins by end December and finishes by end-March. Volunteers patrol the beach every night looking for turtle tracks or for nesting turtles. Once the nest is found, the eggs are taken in bags and relocated into a hatchery which is a fenced-off area of beach in a quiet, dark stretch. Incubation is approximately 45 days and hatchlings emerge between mid-February and mid-May. The hatchery is monitored round the clock to ensure the safe release of every emerging hatchling.
Awareness: Every Friday and Saturday night, student groups, families and individuals totalling 50 to 80, register and join the patrolling team of experienced volunteers. This is popularly referred to as the Turtle Walk. Interactive bi-lingual discussions on conservation issues-particularly sea turtles and the marine environment precede each walk. Student and family groups visit the hatchery every evening to witness hatchlings being released. Again interactive question-answer sessions precede the release. Schools and colleges invite SSTCN volunteers for talks and presentations on turtles and ocean-life. Inter-school and inter-collegiate symposiums are conducted by SSTCN. Beach clean-ups are taken up before and during the turtle season. Members of the public and students join.
Training: Over the years SSTCN has provided training for various groups taking up sea turtle conservation. This includes the state forest department, coastal districts as well as various private groups involved in sea turtle conservation. These include talks, workshops, Species conservation action plans and actual fieldwork for patrolling and hatchery management.
Influencing Policy: Through sustained efforts and with the support of an understanding Chief Wildlife Warden, SSTCN managed to get a Government Order passed to switch off several large mast lights on the Chennai beaches during the sea turtle season in order to protect hatchlings from disorientation.
After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with World Bank funding and violating the government's own policies, Casuarina trees were planted on the beaches in order to protect against future tsunamis. With much effort, SSTCN managed to get a Government Order passed which succeeded in removing Casuarina trees that were planted on sea turtle nesting beaches.
SSTCN was also selected by the state government and is a member of a Nodal Task Force recommended to be set up by the Chennai High Court to ensure reduction of mortality of sea turtles in the ocean.