Olive Ridleys facing survival threat

Arbitrary development activities in the tourism sector at Thay beach, Neeleswaram, one of the two Olive Ridley breeding centres in the State are raising a threat to the breeding activities of the sea turtle, which is an endangered species.

Activists of Neythal, a non-governmental organisation that runs an Olive Ridley breeding centre at Thay beech said the indiscriminate development activities in the area which was a pristine beach earlier was raising threat to its breeding centre.

The activists said that a few resorts were coming up in the area at present and many of the construction activities did not consider the aspect of preservation of Olive Ridley.

They said that work of a big resort coming up in a 10-acre land adjacent to the breeding centre had almost been completed.

They pointed out that even the high intensity light emitted by sodium vapour lamps which are being installed in the area were discouraging Olive Ridley from coming to shores.

The Neythal pointed out that the tourism activities in Ozhinjavalappu Punchavi estuary which did not have much of a human activity had began affecting the bio-diversity there.

The information campaigns being undertaken by NGOs in the area among fishermen had created awareness against destroying eggs of the Olive Ridley turtle.

Earlier, these fishermen used to hunt Olive Ridley eggs for food.