AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
With just 66 Olive Ridley turtles walking ashore on various beaches so far this season — with eggs from 37 turtles transferred to the Morjim hatchery, 10 to the Galgibaga hatch ery and 19 to the Agonda hatchery — officials from the Department of Forests and environmentalists are concerned, though not alarmed, as nesting numbers are known to vary annually. However, the failure of tourism stakeholders to adhere to norms at notified turtle nesting sites has drawn sharp criticism from conservationists.
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“From seeing an annual increase, numbers have de creased this year and we do not expect to reach last year’s figures. We are living in hope that things will improve,” said Rajesh Naik, Range Forest Officer (Wildlife), South Goa. For conservationists, the immediate worry is that only two turtles have nested at Dream Beach so far, while an other returned to sea without nesting on February 6, 2026. Figures from the Forest Department indicate that five tur tles had walked ashore by February 5, 2025, during the same period last season. This year, only two turtles walked ashore and laid a total of 234 eggs. One turtle was seen returning to the sea by Satyan Har malkar, a member of the Anjuna Biodiversity Board, on February 6, 2026. The first such incident this season was reported by O Heraldo on January 19, 2026, titled “Conser vationists livid as noise and light drive turtle back to sea at Morjim.” Whilst eggs of 65 turtles were nested at the Morjim hatchery last season, there are only 36 nests this season. In South Goa, a total of 3,270 eggs have been laid so far — 1,121 at the Galgibaga hatchery and 2,149 at the Agon da hatchery. No details were available regarding the num ber of eggs at the Morjim hatchery. Staff from the Forest Department released 68 hatch lings — the first of the season — from the initial nest of the 2025–2026 season at the Agonda hatchery. The nest had 145 eggs, of which 68 successfully hatched. That all is not well in North Goa is evident from an RTI reply from the Forest Department, in which the Range For est Officer, Marine Range, wrote to the police and other authorities stating that while on routine patrolling duty, it was noticed that a hotel in the Vagator beach was using bright, flashy lights and playing loud music. “A drop in nesting in a specific year or years, compared to higher numbers in previous seasons, cannot directly imply anything. It also does not mean that turtle populations are in decline,” said Aaron Fernandes, member of the Subcom mittee of the Goa State Biodiversity Board Strategic Action Plan for herpetofauna, mammals and associated species. However, Fernandes cautioned that, “If a female comes up to nest on a beach well established as a nesting site and returns, it is most likely because something spooked her.” “When a turtle doesn’t feel safe or is disturbed, she will almost always return to the sea and resurface elsewhere that feels safer,” he added. Despite tourism spreading across both North and South Goa, the southern beaches appear more hospitable to this endangered species, with establishments in Agonda and Galgibaga largely adhering to noise and light regulations. The situation is markedly different in the Olive Rid ley–notified areas of North Goa, where complaints to the police and the Goa State Pollution Control Board have increased. O Heraldo is in possession of documents indi cating complaints against several establishments in Man drem, between January 29 and the morning of February 7, 2026. Music at these establishments was reportedly played beyond midnight and exceeded 120 dB. “The question of issuing sound permission to any club does not arise because no one is allowed to play music at a place notified as an Olive Ridley turtle nesting site. I am aware that the law is being broken, but it is for the police to enforce it,” said Shivprasad Naik, Deputy Collector, Pernem. When contacted, Mandrem Police Station Police Inspec tor Girendre Naik remained non-committal. “The police have no option but to be mute witnesses be cause of the politics involved. Olive Ridley turtles do not have votes or money, while the people blasting music do,” said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity. Noted Goan conservationist Rajendra Kerkar believes that, “By allowing Olive Ridley turtles their space, other species also benefit because noise is bad for all, not just animals.” “An increase in the number of porcupines, monitor liz ards, otters and other animals has been noticed in areas notified as turtle nesting sites because no animal likes to be around noise,” Kerkar said. “At the local level, human activities can still have a seri ous impact. Fishing practices such as LED fishing, coastal lighting, plastic pollution, ghost nets and accidental cap ture can harm turtles and may cause local declines, even if turtle populations are stable or increasing elsewhere,” observed Nester Fernandes, marine biologist. “Globally, sea turtle populations are showing signs of recovery due to conservation efforts. However, it is not the same everywhere. Some regions may still experience declines because of local environmental conditions and human pressure,” he added.
