Tamil Nadu Forest Department to strengthen coastal patrolling as Olive Ridley carcasses begin washing ashore

With the start of the Olive Ridley turtle nesting season, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has enlisted the help of the Marine Elite Force from Ramanathapuram, besides the newly launched unit in Chennai, to increase patrolling and intercept trawlers.

The action comes after turtle deaths increased in the previous nesting season (December 2024 to March 2025) along the northern coast of the State. Hundreds of turtles were found washed ashore, likely owing to entanglement in fishnets.

In response, the government introduced a range of measures to protect the turtles. One such measure is the Marine Elite Force, a unit launched in Chennai on December 18, that specialises in coastal patrolling, surveillance, and enforcement in the ecologically sensitive marine areas. It will focus on safeguarding endangered marine species, especially the Olive Ridley turtle.

Since the start of December this year, over 50 Olive Ridley carcasses have been reported by volunteers of Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network and fishers. A resident of Injambakkam said he had spotted around seven carcasses in the second week of December within a distance of 500 metres.

Acknowledging the deaths, Forest Department Secretary Supriya  Sahu said that this year, steps were being taken much earlier than the previous year. “We are also bringing in the Marine Elite Force launched in Ramanathapuram last year. With their experience, they will be helpful in strengthening patrols,” she said.

Manish Meena, Chennai’s Wildlife Warden, said that though turtle nesting had not yet begun in full, efforts were being made to conserve eggs in areas with minimal disturbance. Hatcheries were being established and would soon be ready for ex situ conservation of eggs.

Mr. Meena said stakeholders, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Department of Fisheries, the Greater Chennai Police, and the Indian Coast Guard, would work together to implement measures to protect the turtles.

According to Ms. Sahu, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation in Vandalur would begin attaching satellite tags to the turtles at key and vulnerable nesting sites across Tamil Nadu, starting from the second week of January.