AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
PANJIM: The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court may have stepped in to provide relief to Olive Ridley turtles nesting on Agonda Beach, but the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) secretary Johnson Fernandes’ interpretation of environmental laws has become a cause for concern for many.
Despite the Gazette of India (January 18, 2019) explicitly categorising turtle nesting sites as CRZ-1A—an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) where development is restricted—Fernandes has defended GCZMA’s decision to permit hotels and restaurants near the nesting zone.
“GCZMA has given permission to build hotels and shacks on private property because they are not on the beach itself. Turtle nesting happens on the beach, so no violation has occurred,” Fernandes asserted, while acknowledging that permissions were granted in close proximity to the nesting site.
Government regulations, however, paint a different picture. Section 1.5 of the Gazette of India states:
Turtle nesting grounds must be protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
No activities causing light and sound pollution are permitted near nesting grounds.
Strict management plans must be implemented to protect these sites.
When questioned about official concerns raised over disturbances to turtle habitats, Fernandes downplayed the issue. He also claimed ignorance of a letter from the Range Forest Officer to Canacona Police regarding alleged habitat disturbances by a local shack owner—despite the letter being forwarded to him via WhatsApp.
Environmental experts have condemned the permissions granted near the nesting site. Retired Captain Gerald Fernandes, an award-winning marine conservationist, pointed out that Olive Ridley turtles are a Schedule 1 protected species under the Wildlife Act, making any development in their nesting area illegal.
“Disturbing or removing sand around nesting sites, or constructing buildings nearby, is harmful not only to turtles but to the entire coastal ecosystem,” marine conservationist Puja Mitra warned.
Herpetologist Aaron Fernandes further highlighted a growing threat—egg poaching. “People sit around the nesting sites, steal eggs, and sell them. This is why strict monitoring is essential.”
Adding weight to these concerns, the Beach Carrying Capacity Report prepared by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and adopted by GCZMA explicitly states that no additional shacks, huts, or cottages should be permitted at Agonda, as it is a designated turtle nesting site.
With the High Court now involved, conservationists and locals await decisive action to uphold legal protections for Goa’s fragile marine ecosystem.