Panaji: The state coordination committee for turtle conservation met to review the standard operating procedures for sea turtle protection by Supreme Court. The panel decided to intensify night patrolling along turtle-nesting sites between Oct and May.Goa has four notified Olive Ridley nesting beaches – Morjim, Mandrem, Agonda and Galgibag, with Morjim and Galgibag declared turtle conservation reserves.The committee, headed by chief wildlife warden and additional principal chief conservator of forests K Ramesh Kumar, decided to launch a drive to collect discarded fishing nets that often kill turtles. These ghost nets will be recycled through Goa Waste Management Corporation and other authorised recyclers. The fisheries department will place collection bins at fishing jetties.Kumar also requested the fisheries department to enforce the installation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in trawl nets in all fishing vessels. All TEDs used by trawlers should have an escape opening for turtles.Director general of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Sanjay Amonkar and senior officers from the forest department, fisheries department, coastal police, Indian Coast Guard, tourism department, department of environment and climate change and other NGOs were present at the meeting.Kumar directed all stakeholders to submit an action-taken report based on the state coordination committee decisions.The committee appreciated the work done by ReefWatch Marine Conservation and the Trust for Research, Education & Environment (TREE). Both NGOs have been working for over a decade to monitor turtle nests, hatchery management, tagging and community education.Amonkar said GCCI is willing to act as a catalyst to mobilise the industry to support Olive Ridley turtle conservation in Goa. GCCI president Pratima Dhond has also said that turtle conservation will be a flagship CSR project for the industry.In April 2025, the SC directed all coastal states to form coordination committees and frame state-specific SOPs to address five causes of turtle mortality: trawling, entanglement in gill and ray nets, egg poaching, hatchling deaths due to artificial lighting, and loss of nesting grounds.In Feb, the National Green Tribunal principal reiterated strict compliance with SC directions after a spike in turtle deaths on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh coast. Goa has prepared and notified SOPs.SAFEGUARDING TURTLESGFXFour notified Olive Ridley nesting beaches – Morjim, Mandrem, Agonda and GalgibagEnforce the installation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in trawl netsHelpline for reporting nesting, egg poaching, and injured turtlesSOPs on how to treat an injured turtleInstallation of multilingual signage on all four beaches with do’s and don’ts.
