Sea erosion destroys turtle habitat

25 December, 2007

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Sea erosion destroys turtle habitat

(Statesman News Service)

KENDRAPARA, Dec. 25:

With sea erosion squeezing the space of rookeries, the forest personnel have embarked on a novel experiment to create more hospitable environs for the Olive Ridley sea turtles in the run up to the arribada or the mass nesting of these marine creatures.

To protect the animals from prying eyes of predating animals, the forest cover in close vicinity of the nesting ground near Habelikhati Isle is being fenced. The fencing structure would come as a buffer and would stop the animals from coming over to the nesting beaches and feast the nesting turtles.

The Habelikhati beach is free from sea erosion. Once it is made free from the predating animals, turtles would once again prefer visiting the spot for laying eggs. About a decade back, the said beach was one of the most preferred destinations of these threatened species. But they played truant and deserted the place for their annual sojourn after casuarinas forest came up in and around the beach.

Frequent interference of animals who feasted on the marine turtles and destroyed the eggs prompted the species not to visit the place. It has become imperative to stop trespassing of wild dogs, jackals, hyenas and wild boar so that the beach may again witness arribada. "As marauding sea continues to damage majority of existing nesting grounds along Gahirmatha off the Bay of Bengal coast turning the sandy beaches inhospitable and uncongenial for annual mass nesting of these marine creatures, we are paying utmost attention to create interference-free environs along the Habelikhati beach," said forest officials.

"We have started fencing one-km-long forest to stop animals intrusion into the beach. The fencing work would end well in time before the annual mass nesting likely to occur on February-March," they stated.

Officials said that the nesting grounds near the Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands have been worst hit by sea erosion leaving little room for marine visitors to lay their eggs.

It’s not that space is unavailable but the beaches have got truncated to accommodate the invasion of lakhs of turtles. The cluster of isles scattered along the Wheeler’s island is being constantly battered by sea waves and sandy beaches which turtles often prefer for nesting are getting decimated almost on a daily basis.

The sea has turned violent and furious. Almost on a daily basis, the mighty tidal waves are eating into the nesting beaches.

The topographical features are undergoing massive changes following the sea erosion, told the forest officials.

"The cluster of isles scattered along the Wheeler’s island is being constantly battered by sea waves and sandy beaches which turtles often prefer for nesting are getting destroyed almost on a daily basis," said a forest official of Bhitarkanika national park. "We are feeling the heat of sea erosion and rapid fragmentation of nesting beaches".