A high-powered committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, convened today to review and strengthen conservation strategies for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles along Odisha’s coast.
The meeting focused on building upon the remarkable success of the 2024-25 mass nesting season, where a record **1.51 million** turtles arrived for arribada (mass nesting) at key sites.
The committee highlighted the extraordinary 2024-25 season, with **6.07 lakh** turtles nesting at Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary and **9.04 lakh** at the Rushikulya river mouth – totalling **15.11 lakh** (1.51 million), surpassing all previous records. Officials noted that while the exact reasons remain unclear, favourable environmental conditions and global migratory patterns likely contributed to this surge.
Discussing past trends, the meeting reviewed data showing 11.49 lakh nestings in 2022-23 across both sites, dropping to just 3.01 lakh in 2023-24 (primarily at Rushikulya), before the dramatic rebound this year. Chief Secretary Ahuja emphasised sustained inter-departmental coordination, awareness programs, and enforcement to maintain this positive momentum for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Key measures already in place include seasonal management from November 1 to May 31, deployment of high-speed patrol boats, 67 onshore camps across coastal forest divisions, and a ban on mechanised fishing within 20 km of sensitive areas like Dhamra port, Devi river, and Rushikulya. Strict action against violators and timely compensation to affected fishermen were also stressed to balance conservation with livelihoods.
A new satellite telemetry study from 2025 to 2029 will track turtle movements and nesting sites for better long-term protection. Representatives from forest, fisheries, home departments, ports, Indian Coast Guard, DRDO, and Wildlife Institute of India attended the meeting, underscoring collaborative efforts that have made Odisha’s turtle conservation a global model.
Odisha’s beaches, particularly Gahirmatha and Rushikulya, host one of the world’s largest arribada events, a unique phenomenon vital for the survival of this vulnerable species.
