Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 17: Karnataka is set to become the second Indian state after Maharashtra to geo-tag Olive Ridley turtles that visit its coastal shores. The initiative aims to monitor the movement of these migratory turtles and collect crucial data about their nesting behaviour.

The geo-tags will not only carry identification numbers provided by the state government but will also enable tracking of turtle movements. When a turtle visits Karnataka’s coast for nesting, a Precise Time Protocol (PTP) tag is attached to its back, explained Prashanth Kumar, deputy forest conservation officer of Haliyal, who is pursuing a PhD on the subject. The nesting sites of these turtles are found in Karwar, Honnavar, Kundapur, Udupi, and Mangaluru. Olive Ridley turtles are known to visit the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, and Odisha between December and May for nesting.

Each state maintains a record of geo-tagged turtles that visit their shores to lay eggs. These records are shared between the state where the turtle was originally tagged and other states for effective tracking. To ensure smooth coordination, the Forest Department is working in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India and the Karnataka Biodiversity Board.

The need for geo-tagging has increased due to various factors. In some coastal regions, human interference has led to a decline in the number of migratory turtles nesting, while in other areas, their numbers have increased. Sand erosion along the shoreline is also on the rise, prompting the placement of rocks and large stones to stabilize the coast. However, these turtles require a minimum of 10 to 30 metres of open sandy beach from the sea for nesting. Any obstruction may cause them to abandon the site. Geo-tagging helps understand and track their movement in such cases, said K V Vasanath Reddy, forest conservation officer of the Canara division.

It is known that Olive Ridley turtles return to the same location each year for nesting. To preserve this natural cycle, geo-tagging is essential, affirmed forest officials from the Karwar region.

Marine expert M D Subhashchandran observed that due to increased awareness and conservation efforts among locals, the number of nesting sites along the Karnataka coast has risen. He added that fishermen who report nesting sites are rewarded with cash incentives by the forest department.