People’s support sought for protection of sea turtles

Nellore : Chief Conservator of Forests Department AK Naik has said that people should consider as a social responsibility to protect sea turtles.

He was addressing a one-day workshop organised by the forest department here on Saturday.

He said that the Nellore coast like other parts of of AP serves as a critical nesting and foraging habitat of olive ridely turtles which travel thousands of kilometres across the oceans and prepare nests in beaches.

The CCFD has said that the turtles along with other marine megafauna are essential indicators of the health of our oceans. He said that their survival ensures the balance in marine ecosystems impacting the fisheries, coastal resistance and biodiversity.

The CCFD has pointed out that unfortunately the sea turtles are being threatened by human activities as they catch them in fishing nests through illegal poaching. He said that the workshop aims to promote collective efforts to protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles and other marine species. He said that protection of sea turtles will not be possible with the forest department alone or a single organisation. It is a collective responsbility of fishermen, enforcement agencies, researchers, policy makers and communities living in the coastal belt. Forest department officials were present.