School students during a dance performance organised as part of an event to mark International Day of Biodiversity, during which Manish Meena, Wildlife Warden, Chennai Division, highlighted the rise in nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Although Chennai saw Olive Ridley sea turtle deaths, huge compared to last year, situation has improved now, as the number of nests increased from 320 in 2024 to 450 this year and the number of eggs went up from 30,000 to 50,000, said Manish Meena, Wildlife Warden, Chennai Division.

“A joint patrolling with Sagar Mitras (a field-level interface between the government and coastal fishers), Fisheries department, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Group of the Tamil Nadu Police was held to protect the turtles within the five nautical miles area where normal trawler fishing is prohibited. With the cooperation of the fishermen and the stakeholders, the turtles were protected. In one case, 16 live turtles were saved from a trawl boat and released back into the ocean,” he said.

This was said at the event held to mark International Day of Biodiversity by Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation And Greening Project For Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board (TNBB), Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), National Biodiversity Authority and NGO Care Earth Trust on Thursday at the Amma Maaligai auditorium in Ripon Buildings complex. The theme was ‘harmony with nature and sustainable development’.

Migratory Bird Monitoring Trust (MBMT) managing trustee S. Balachandran emphasised on bird diversity, focussing on Central Asian Flyway and the importance of Tamil Nadu as a stopover for birds in his speech.

Care Earth Trust founding-trustee R.J Ranjith Daniels said, earlier, the people of Tamil Nadu were aware of ways to live along with all living beings, despite being among the advanced civilisations during iron age.

The programme also features songs of Tamil poet Subramania Bharati on natural resources and biodiveristy, a dance performance inspired by Irular community by Coimbatore-based school students and alumni and a musical performance by Kerala-based group Vayali.

A press release mentioned the formation of over 13,600 Biodiversity Management Committees and the preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers in each.