3

22 Marine Turtles of India

Background and Scope

of the GOI–UNDP Sea TTur
ur tle Project
urtle

S C Sharma

In the early 1970s, following a survey of the Orissa coast (FAO 1974) and the report
that Gahirmatha might be the ‘world’s largest sea turtle rookery’ (Bustard 1976), sea
turtles were brought into the conservation agenda of the Government of India (GOI).
The Madras Snake Park Trust in Tamil Nadu (led by Romulus Whitaker) was then
conducting regular surveys along the Indian coast, including the offshore islands of
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. It had set up the country’s first sea turtle
hatchery in Madras and was creating a great deal of awareness on sea turtles (Valliappan
and Whitaker 1974, Whitaker 1977, see Shanker 2003 for a review). The
recommendations of the Indian Board for Wild Life (IBWL) in 1969 and Bustard (1976)
culminated in the 1976 inclusion of all five species of sea turtles that occur in India in
Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The newly created Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in the GOI realised
that the Orissa coast was a major olive ridley nesting site and supported the annual sea
turtle census and nest protection programme of the wildlife wing of the Orissa forest
department. It also constituted the Indian Sea Turtle Specialist Group to look into
problems associated with the conservation of sea turtles. Surveys of the Indian coastline
by the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust provided information on the status of sea turtles in
India (Bhaskar 1984). Much of this information was synthesised in 1984 during a
workshop conducted by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
in Chennai (Silas 1984).
In the early eighties, concerned at reports of increasing mortality of olive ridleys
in Gahirmatha (Kar and Dash 1984), the MoEF took the support of the navy and the
coast guard to conduct offshore patrols for the protection of breeding congregations
 Background and Scope of the GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project 23
(Patnaik and Kar 2000). In spite of the legal protection offered in the Act of 1972, large-
scale mortality of breeding adults along the Indian coastline continued to be a major
concern for the MoEF, and numerous publications emphasised the need to initiate a
project for the conservation of sea turtles in India (Silas 1984, Pandav et al 1994,
Choudhury et al 2000).
This large-scale mortality of a globally migratory species had its repercussions at the
World Trade Organisation (WTO),1 where India had to contest a ban on the export of
marine products harvested with fishing gear that had no safeguard against sea turtle
mortality. The IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group organised the Northern Indian
Ocean Sea Turtle Workshop in Bhubaneshwar in January 1997, which resulted in the
Orissa Declaration and the Marine Turtle Conservation Action Plan for the Northern
Indian Ocean. This was further impetus to the MoEF to develop India’s sea turtle
conservation agenda (Choudhury et al 2000) and the ministry launched Project Sea
Turtle, at a national level, in 1999. The primary focus of this project was:
(i) To identify important sea turtle nesting sites along the Indian coastline and place
them under CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) category I.
(ii) To safeguard offshore breeding congregations from incidental capture in marine
fishing operations.
(iii) To identify and protect migratory routes of sea turtles in territorial waters.
(iv) To develop the human resources and infrastructure required to build sea turtle
conservation.
(v) To develop a network for regional, national and international cooperation on sea
turtle conservation, and
(vi) To develop awareness programmes for sea turtle conservation.
An integrated project on the conservation and management of sea turtles along the
Indian coast was proposed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in the same year. The project envisaged the development of a sustainable model for the
protection and restoration of sea turtle habitats with the participation of various
stakeholders.

The GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project

The MoEF vested the responsibility of implementing this UNDP-funded project to
the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun in 1999, and project activities were
initiated in 2000. The project prioritised the olive ridley as the species in focus but also
expanded its scope to include the four other species of sea turtles. The project also
envisaged the participation of numerous stakeholders—various ministries of the
Government of India, the state governments of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, the union territories of Andaman
and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, non government organisations (NGOs), research
organisations, local communities, fisher folk, trawler associations and other interested
groups.
1
see Chapter 25 for a more detailed report on the turtle–shrimp case.
24 Marine Turtles of India

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of this project was to develop a sustainable model for the conservation
of olive ridley sea turtles and restoration/conservation of their habitats along the Indian
coastline, through a holistic and people-centred approach (Anon 1999, Mukherjee 2001).
The objectives of the project were:
(i) To conduct a comprehensive threat analysis and log-frame analysis for olive ridleys
and their habitats, and collate this data to design management plans for the
conservation and restoration of degraded and threatened habitats.
(ii) To create comprehensive, time-based, spatial databases of olive ridley nesting sites,
feeding populations and foraging sites.
(iii) To build the capacities of major stakeholders—like the central government, state
governments, NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), etc—in olive
ridley habitat management; and to generate awareness among these identified
stakeholders of the need to protect coastal ecosystems in general and the olive
ridley in specific.
(iv) To develop and implement a participatory management plan for sea turtle habitats.

PROJECT MONITORING
The executing agency for this project was the wildlife wing of the MoEF, and the project
was guided and governed by a national steering committee headed by the inspector
general of forests, MoEF. The committee comprised the deputy inspector general of
forests (WL) from the MoEF, state chief wildlife wardens, representatives from the
Ministries of Commerce and Agriculture, UNDP, WII, the Indian coast guard,
Department of Ocean Development, and various NGOs. The additional inspector
general (WL)—also national project director, GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project—served
as member secretary. The WII acted as the implementing agency, whose primary role
was to coordinate, monitor and report the activities of the project to the steering
committee. Twice a year, a core committee within the steering committee reviewed the
progress of the project and approved the implementing agency’s proposals. In the annual
meeting of the steering committee, all activities of the project were ratified.

ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUT

Assessment of sea turtles and their habitats, and the threats they face along the Indian coast
While there was some literature available on sea turtle nesting along the Indian coastline,
many areas had been ignored and no systematic surveys had been carried out. One of
the objectives of this programme was to extensively survey the entire coast to get nesting
and mortality data, with intensive sampling of key areas. Another objective of the survey
was to build a network of coastal organisations and involve individuals interested in
marine conservation, who would serve to collect and disseminate information on sea
turtles and related coastal issues. Surveys were carried out in all the coastal states,
including the two archipelagos, by the following organisations:
West Bengal Nature, Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), Kolkata
Orissa Forest Department, Government of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
 Background and Scope of the GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project 25
Andhra Pradesh Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun
Tamil Nadu Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
(SACON), Coimbatore
Kerala THANAL Conservation Action Network,
Thiruvananthapuram
Karnataka University of Mysore, Hassan
Maharashtra and Goa Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai
Gujarat Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE), Bhuj
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET),
Port Blair
Lakshadweep Islands Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun

Capacity Building and Training Workshops

National workshop: On 9–10 April 2001, a National Sea Turtle Workshop was conducted
in Bhubaneshwar, with the participation of stakeholder-agencies. Over 125 participants
reviewed sea turtle conservation in India and recommendations were made for
consideration by various ministries. The proceedings of the workshop were published
in March 2002 (Shanker and Choudhury 2002).
Conducted by WII and the Orissa forest department.
Satellite telemetry study in Orissa: A satellite telemetry study on olive ridleys was initiated
in April 2001 by WII, in collaboration with the Orissa forest department and the
Smithsonian Institution, USA. Turtles were tracked till mid-August 2001, when the
last transmissions were received. Post-nesting migratory routes of four turtles were
traced, with one turtle migrating to Sri Lanka (see http://www.wii.gov.in for details).
Conducted by WII, Orissa forest department and Smithsonian Institution, USA.
Education and awareness workshop: The Centre for Environmental Education (CEE),
Ahmedabad conducted a national workshop in August 2001 to assess sea turtle
conservation awareness and education needs. The workshop aimed to create a model
for environmental education, with reference to sea turtle conservation, along the Indian
coast. A handout and poster on sea turtles of India was prepared by CEE and distributed
to state agencies.
Conducted by CEE, Ahmedabad.
Study tour and training: In September 2001, a group of 16 officials (from various state
wildlife and fisheries departments) were taken on a training and study tour to obtain
first-hand experience of sea turtle conservation and management methods in Malaysia
and Australia.
Conducted by WII, Dehradun.
TED demonstration–cum-workshop in Orissa: In February 2002, the Orissa fisheries
department and Project Swarajya, Cuttack conducted a demonstration-cum-workshop
on turtle excluder devices (TEDs) at Paradeep (see Anon 2003a).
Conducted by the Orissa fisheries department and Project Swarajya, a non government
organisation in Cuttack.
26 Marine Turtles of India

TED demonstration and workshop in Andhra Pradesh: The State Institute of Fisheries
Technology (SIFT), Kakinada conducted TED demonstrations and workshops between
2001–02. It also set up TED information and demonstration centres at Kakinada, which
provide information on the use of TEDs. In collaboration with the Marine Products
Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the centres distribute free TEDs to trawler
operators. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi worked on the
design of an indigenous TED, which will be appropriate for Indian conditions.
Conducted by SIFT, Andhra Pradesh.
Workshop to review TED promotion: A workshop on networking and coordination of TED
manufacture and promotion along the Indian coast was conducted in December 2002
to review TED promotion in India. The workshop aimed to share research information
among the three major officiating agencies—the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of
Agriculture and MoEF—and also with fisheries organisations and NGOs (see Anon
2003b).
Conducted by MPEDA, Kochi and WII, Dehradun.
Workshop on developing an eco-friendly coastal development plan: While the greatest threat to
sea turtles in the sea is from fishing, threats on land occur primarily from developmental
activities by agencies that destroy or contribute to the shrinking of nesting beaches. In
December 2002, a workshop on Eco-(sea turtle)friendly Coastal Development was
conducted in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Based on interaction during the
workshop, a sustainable eco-friendly coastal development plan, with special focus on
sea turtles, was formulated (see Anon 2003c).
Conducted by the Andhra Pradesh forest department and WII.
Stakeholders workshop for protection measures and training workshop for frontline staff:
In November 2001, the Orissa forest department conducted a workshop, in which more
than 60 participants from forest and fisheries departments, the coast guard, NGOs and
the media participated. Overall training on sea turtle conservation and management
was imparted during the two-day workshop.
Conducted by the Orissa forest department.
Training workshop on sea turtles for frontline staff from the east coast states: In June 2002,
a workshop was conducted in Chilika, Orissa and was attended by 38 frontline staff
from the east coast states of West Bengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The participants
were from the coast guard and the state forest and fisheries departments. Training on
different aspects of conservation and management of sea turtles was given to the
participants (Pandav 2002).
Conducted by WII and the Orissa forest department.
Training workshop on sea turtles for frontline staff from the west coast states: In June 2002,
a workshop conducted in Kochi, Kerala was attended by 80 frontline staff from the west
coast states of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. The frontline staff
were from the CMFRI, CIFT, MPEDA, the coast guard and state forest and fisheries
departments (Rajagopalan 2002).
Conducted by CMFRI, Kochi and WII.
 Background and Scope of the GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project 27
Training workshop on sea turtles for frontline staff of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
A capacity-building workshop for various agencies in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
was conducted in Port Blair in June 2003 to offer training on various aspects of sea
turtle conservation and management (Singh et al 2003).
Conducted by the Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET) and the A&N
forest department, Port Blair.

Other Activities
Supercyclone impact survey: In 1999, the WII conducted a rapid assessment survey (with
special reference to sea turtle nesting habitats) on the impact of the supercyclone that
hit Orissa in October 1999 (Pandav 2000).
Review of legislation: Five sea turtles are listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. Apart from this, several laws and acts pertain to maintenance of
the coast and offshore waters, the regulation of fishing activities and protection of
endangered species in India. Enviro-Law, New Delhi provided a review of legislations
pertaining to sea turtles and their habitats, with an evaluation of the implications for
conservation.
Using GIS and satellite imagery to characterise sea turtle nesting habitats in Orissa: The nesting
beaches at two sites in Orissa—Gahirmatha and the mouth of the Devi River—are
narrow sand bars which vary substantially in size, shape and location from year to year.
The Orissa Remote Sensing Applications Centre (ORSAC), Bhubaneshwar carried out
a study on the characteristics and dynamics of the nesting beaches along the Orissa
coast.
Community-based conservation: Kalpavriksh, Pune documented two community-based
conservation programmes in Kerala and Goa. In both instances, local fisher folk have
taken the initiative to protect nesting turtles and their eggs, with support from the forest
department. The project also examined the nesting site at Rushikulya, Orissa to evaluate
whether similar programmes could be initiated there.
Survey of marine pollution in West Bengal: A pilot survey on marine pollution at the micro-
layer level, with special reference to its impact on the migration and nesting of olive
ridleys along the West Bengal coast, was carried out by the West Bengal fisheries
department.
Sea turtle database unit: A sea turtle database unit was set up in Bhubaneshwar by the
Orissa forest department, to collect information on sea turtle conservation and
management along its coast.
Production of manuals on sea turtle conservation and management techniques: The Madras
Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) prepared four manuals on monitoring, census and
research methods, beach and hatchery management, and coastal development (Andrews
2003).
Production of a documentary film on TEDs: A film to promote awareness of TEDs (and
dubbed in Telugu, Oriya and English) was prepared by the State Institute of Fisheries
Technology, Kakinada and a professional filmmaker from Eco-Media, Chennai.
28 Marine Turtles of India

Agenda for the future

The central government is committed to give high priority to, and fund efforts in, sea
turtle conservation. The activities of the GOI–UNDP Sea Turtle Project have brought
many government and non government organisations and individuals together to
improve the status of sea turtles along the Indian coast. It is particularly satisfying that
this project has facilitated a large number of stakeholders, across many sectors, to work
for the cause of sea turtle conservation. The capacity-building component of the project
has enabled many individuals and organisations along the Indian coast to initiate and
implement conservation programmes.

Acknowledgements
I wish to record my appreciation of S K Mukherjee, director, WII and BC Choudhury
and Kartik Shanker for their commitment in putting into operation the GOI–UNDP
Sea Turtle Project and providing inputs for the preparation of this chapter.

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