Team Herald
PERNEM: The Ashvem-Mandrem beach’s wait to host Olive Ridley turtles have finally ended as on the very first day of the New Year a sea turtle made its first appearance of the season.
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November being the usual month of arrivals for Ridleys, the turtle for the first time arrived in January which indicates the effects of global climate change.
The respective seasonal visitor arrived at 7 pm on January 1 and laid eggs in the quieter area at Ashwem. One of the security guards informed about the same to the Forest Department officials, who installed net around the nest and put up a signboard stating ‘Nest No1’.
The turtle conservation campaign is being carried out at four nesting beaches in the State with Tembwada-Morjim and Ashvem-Mandrem being two places from North Goa.
Notably, Morjim and Mandrem beaches, which were silent zones once, are now declared as commercial zones as per a government gazette.
The turtle which laid eggs on January 1 did so in the area which does not have any concrete constructions as environmentalist Denzel Sequeira has put in efforts to maintain the stretch.
There are multiple constructions at Mandrem and Morjim which violate the CRZ law and environment lovers have appealed for Forest Minister Vishwajeet Rane to intervene.
