AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
MORJIM: The low hatching rate during the recent Olive Ridley turtle nesting season at the Tembwada hatchery in Morjim has left herpetologists and marine life enthusiasts deeply concerned.
Of the 15,119 eggs relocated, a worrying 4,114 failed to incubate, and only 11,005 hatchlings were successfully released.
According to a Right to Information (RTI) response from the Forest Department, 175 Olive Ridley turtles laid a total of 18,243 eggs in North Goa this season. Of these, 15,119 were relocated to Tembwada in Morjim, while the status of the remaining 3,112 eggs is currently unknown.
“The rate of non-hatching is extremely high, and this could be due to external factors like interference with the natural nesting process. Though not fully understood, natural phenomena guide marine turtles to navigate long distances and lay eggs at specific beach locations,” explains retired Captain Gerald Fernandes, the first recipient of the WildLife Conservation Award and a resident of Morjim.
“Interfering with the turtles' choice of nesting locations is an attempt to supplant nature. The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 has no legislative provisions permitting the relocation of eggs of endangered marine turtle species,” fumes Capt. Fernandes.
Atmaram Gauns, Range Forest Officer (RFO) for North Goa, attributes the large number of unhatched eggs to adverse weather conditions. “The sudden showers made the sand hard, and that may have spoiled the eggs,” explains Gauns.
However, Gauns' explanation is challenged by local resident Antonio Vaz, who states: “The unseasonal rains fell toward the end of May, by which time all hatchlings should have already been released.”
175 Olive Ridley turtles laid a total of 18,243 eggs in North Goa this season
Of these, 15,119 eggs were relocated to Tembwada in Morjim
The status of the remaining 3,112 eggs is currently unknown
Marine life enthusiasts in North Goa believe the problem starts with the lackadaisical approach of government officials. “Morjim must be one of the few places in the world where shacks are allowed within metres of the hatchery. Besides the shacks, sunbeds are placed almost touching the shore,” laments Albert Fernandes.
“Shacks in Morjim are always demarcated in the presence of forest officials, and they have never raised objections. If the locations were wrong, they should have informed us,” counters Rajesh Kale, Deputy Director of Tourism (North).
RFO Gauns, however, accuses the Tourism Department of misleading the public. “We have never been invited when shacks are being marked. In fact, there have been instances when the Tourism Department was specifically informed about the proximity of shacks to turtle nesting sites,” explains Gauns.
O Heraldo accessed a letter by Range Forest Officer Khabre which states:
“No beach beds are to be set up in the intertidal zone. The existing practice in Morjim is to lay beach beds very close to the waterline, leaving little space for turtles to move up.”
Herpetologist Aaron Fernandes from Siolim adds: “The Forest Department must start maintaining data on unhatched eggs, especially since a number as high as 4,000 is significant. Factors not accurately replicated in hatcheries—such as temperature and nest depth—can lead to failed incubation, even in fertile eggs.”
“The hatchery needs to be guarded,” urges local resident Alfredo Fernandes. “Whenever we visit the hatchery at night, there’s no one monitoring the nests. The area is often filled with boys from the North, for whom turtle eggs are considered a delicacy. Last year, there were allegations of egg theft (see O Heraldo, dated June 17, 2024). What guarantee is there that the same hasn’t happened again?”
In 2024, out of 7,869 eggs laid at Morjim, 2,090 were recorded as “stolen” in the register maintained by the turtle guards in Morjim—a copy of which was accessed by O Heraldo.
At the time, Deputy Conservator of Forests Prem Kumar (IFS) claimed the documents were unofficial and instead provided "official" figures on a blank sheet of paper.