Bhubaneswar: Odisha has recorded its highest-ever mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles, with 15.11 lakh turtles laying eggs along the coast during the 2024–25 season, prompting the State Government to step up conservation measures ahead of the 2025–26 nesting period.
The development was reviewed at a meeting of the high-powered committee on Olive Ridley conservation chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at Lok Seva Bhawan on Wednesday. The meeting assessed past protection measures and discussed preparedness for the upcoming nesting season, with Additional Chief Secretary of the Home, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Satyabrata Sahu, and senior officials from various departments in attendance.
Officials informed the meeting that while 11.49 lakh turtles nested at Gahirmatha and Rushikulya in 2022–23 and only 3.01 lakh turtles nested at Rushikulya in 2023–24, the 2024–25 season saw a record turnout of 6.07 lakh turtles at Gahirmatha and 9.04 lakh at Rushikulya. The exact reason for the surge could not be ascertained, though favourable environmental conditions were cited as a possible factor.
Seasonal protection measures from November 1 to May 31 are already in force, with a central monitoring unit functioning at the State Wildlife Headquarters, deployment of high-speed boats and reactivation of 67 onshore protection camps across coastal forest divisions. Joint sea patrolling is being carried out with the cooperation of district administrations and police.
A ban on motorised fishing boats within a 20-km radius of key turtle congregation zones near Dhamra port, Devi river mouth and Rushikulya river mouth remains in place during the nesting season, while certain areas of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary are under year-round restriction. The Chief Secretary stressed timely compensation for fishermen affected by the restrictions.
The meeting also noted the launch of a satellite telemetry study from 2025 to 2029 to track turtle movement and nesting behaviour. Emphasising that Olive Ridley mass nesting along the Odisha coast is a rare natural phenomenon, the Chief Secretary called for continued inter-departmental coordination to ensure their protection and long-term conservation.
