PANAJI, MARCH 17: Thanks to a poorly equipped forest department and a general lack of awareness among the local population, dozens of rare Olive Ridley turtles who nest on the desolate beaches of Goa are losing their eggs to poachers.During the nesting season between September and February each year, fisherfolk living on the beaches dig up turtle nests and sell the eggs in the local markets. At just Rs 2 each, the eggs resembling ping pong balls are only slightly more expensive than poultry eggs. With every turtle laying between 80 and 140 eggs at one go, poachers make a neat Rs 200 - Rs 300 for their efforts. Though most turtles come ashore late at night to lay, the odd straggler waddling ashore in the wee hours of dawn also make for easy prey. While turtle meat is prized as a delicacy, its shells fetch a premium from curio hunters.Though poaching has been going for years, no poachers have been nabbed in Goa. All sea turtles have been covered under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act, 1972, whichcovers protection of endangered species. Offenders are liable for imprisonment between one and three years or a fine of Rs 3,000 or both.Due to inadequate manpower and intelligence infrastructure, the forest department has only this year managed to identify nesting sites at Morjim, Mandrem and Palolem beaches of Goa. ``There could be many more sites, but these are yet to be identified,'' says Richard D'Souza, conservator of forests. According to environmentalists nesting sites at several points in the West Coast like the beaches of Sindhudurg in Maharashtra could be going unreported. At present, the presence of Olive Ridley turtles have been recorded at the Gahirmata turtle sanctuary, Orissa, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshwadeep, Kutch and West Bengal.Of the three sites identified in Goa, preliminary conservation efforts commenced this year at Morjim beach mainly due to enthusiastic support from loccal residents. At the five nests at Morjim beach a total of 628 eggs were laid, of which 456 hatched safely.The rest remained unhatched or the chicks died in the hatching process. In the wild, the hatchlings enjoy a survival rate of just two per cent. ``We have been eating the eggs for so long. It is only now that we have seen the baby turtles hatch,'' says Benjamin Fernandes, a veteran turtle poacher turned protector. He recollects seeing dozens of turtles nesting ashore, as a boy. ``The numbers have fallen as more and more people frequent the beach,'' Benjamin said.According to C Achalender Reddy, the deputy conservator of forests, the department stumbled on the Morjim site late last year after a panchayat member, Marilyn Fernandes and her husband, Capt Gerald Fernandes alerted the authorities. ``Since then the forest department is trying to mobilise people's participation in turtle conservation by paying cash awards to those reporting nestings and volunteers who offer to monitor hatchings,'' says Reddy. The Fernandes' have also chipped in by awarding Rs 3,000 to informers and watchers on their own. ``I amalso persuading other members of the panchayat to support the programme.'' says Marilyn.
