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Chennai, 6 October (IANS) In a major conservation push, Chennai will soon have its first dedicated elite marine force to protect the delicate beach of the city and threatened marine life, especially olive rideline maritime turtles that go into the nest every winter on these coasts.
The special patrol unit is ready to be operational by the end of this month. The force will place 60 km from Muttukdu from Muttukdu to Annor in the south to a distance of 60 km from the beach, which will focus on curbing illegal trolling within five sea miles of the shore.
This Inshore zone is legally preserved as a safe breeding ground for marine life.
Over the years, the enforcement in these shallow water has been weak, allowing travelers to operate a net that often trap and kill sea turtles and teenage fish.
The new unit will be equipped with three patrol ships-a high-speed interceptor craft and on-the-spot detention and two 20-seater boats for transporters.
A senior forest department official said, “This force will provide round-the-clock monitoring during important turtle sexual intercourse and nests.”
Every year, from November to January, Olive Ridley Turtles move to the Gulf of Bengal coast. Chennai hosts solitary nests, while India’s major mass is nest hunting – or Arribda – Odisha in the mouths of the Gahiramath, Rashikulya and Devi river. Globally, such massive nests are seen in the nest otherwise only in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Despite the number of small nests here, conservationists say that the beaches of Chennai are important for the existence of species in the southern Gulf of Bengal.
Tamil Nadu is at the forefront of the turtle protection with decades of conservation programs led by volunteers for a long time.
The patrol teams of various activist groups and the night department of the State Forest Department have saved thousands of eggs from prediction and urban threats. Nevertheless, the number of adult turtles dying in the nearby fishing nets remains a frequent challenge.
Last season a dangerous spike was seen in the deaths of the turtle; The study of post mortem connected many people with drowning in traval nets.
Protectionists believe that the elite patrol can mark a significant twist by implementing existing laws and protecting marine biodiversity.
“It’s not only about turtles – it is about preserving a whole coastal ecosystem,” said a maritime biologist associated with the monitoring of the turtle in Chennai.
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Aal/DPB