SEA TURTLE HATCHERIES IN KACHCHH, GUJARAT

R.L. MEENA, J.V. VYAS and R.S. JADEJA

Forest Department, Government of Gujarat,
Mandvi, Kachchh-Bhuj, Gujarat 371001, India.

Email: cfkutchad1@sancharnet.in

Download article as PDF

Gujarat State has the longest coastline in the country covering more than 1600 km. Olive ridleys and green turtles nest on the Gujarat coast (Sunderraj et al., 2006a), with a predominance of olive ridleys on the Kachchh coast (Sunderraj et al., 2006a,b). Though incidental mortality is low on this coast, turtles face a significant threat from depredation of nests by animals and humans, and from coastal development (Sunderraj et al., 2006a, b). Given the importance of these marine reptiles and the threats they face, in-situ hatching and ex-situ conservation programmes have been in operation in Gujarat since 1985-86. Hatcheries were established at Mandvi and Nalia, but the programme was strengthened after surveys by the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GuIDE) as part of the GOI-UNDP sea turtle project (Sunderraj et al., 2006a). The eggs are currently collected by the forest department staff and hired trained personnel. These eggs are being buried in the hatchery under the same conditions as the wild. A total of 8546 olive ridleys, 182 green turtle and 50 leatherback hatchlings have been successfully hatched and released into the sea from hatcheries in Mandvi and Nalia in Kachchh distict.

The efforts being made by the forest department need to be strengthened. In-situ protection needs to be more effective with proper protection at site and regular monitoring by the field staff. Public awareness programmes for the fisherfolk and other coastal inhabitants regarding the conservation significance of these threatened species will reduce the predation of nests.

Table 1: Collection of eggs and hatching success from 1985 to 2006 at Mandvi and Nolia hatcheries

No. of Successful hatchlings
Year Site No. of eggs collected Olive ridley Green turtle Leatherback Success Rate (%)
1985-86 Mandvi
Nalia 65 43 66.00
1986-87 Mandvi
Nalia 134 100 74.62
1990-91 Mandvi 1271 778 61.25
Nalia
1991-92 Mandvi 2038 1230 60.35
Nalia
1992-93 Mandvi 3391 2251 66.39
Nalia
2000-01 Mandvi 4399 1963 110 40.00
Nalia 321 105 50 48.00
2001-02 Mandvi 1273 404 31.73
Nalia 210 138 65.00
2004-05 Mandvi 1446 750 51.00
Nalia 533 368 69.00
2005-06 Mandvi 556 416 75.00
Nalia 135 72 53.33
Total 15637 8546 182 50 54.50

Table 2: Collection and hatching of the turtles during the year 2005 – 06 and 2006 – 07

Site Collection of eggs Survival of hatchlings Survival percentage Remark
2005-06
Mandvi Date Number Date Number Survival is more if collection is in July.
Seashore 26.07.05 96 05.09.05 93 96.87
-do- 28.07.05 138 05.09.05 134 97.10
-do- 09.08.05 112 23.09.05 67 59.82
-do- 20.08.05 102 03.10.05 58 56.86
Nana-Layja 21.08.05 108 04.10.05 64 59.25
Sub-total 556 416 74.82
Naliya 08.12.05 135 28.01.06 72 53.3
Total 691 488 70.62
2006-07
Mandvi 23.07.06 124 15.09.06 68 54

 Literature Cited

Sunderraj, S.F.W, J. Joshua & V.Vijaya Kumar. 2006a. Sea turtles and their nesting habitats in Gujarat. In: Marine turtles of the Indian subcontinent (Eds. K. Shanker & B.C. Choudhury), pp. 156-169. Universities Press, Hyderabad, India.

Sunderraj, S.F.W. & J. Joshua. 2006b. Status report on UNEP – CMS sea turtle project on the Gujarat coast, India. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 3: 6-10.