Team Herald
PANJIM: Forest Department and Drishti Marine officials are now first responders to rescue and handle marine carcasses washed ashore on Goa’s coastline.
Goa Forest Department and Drishti Marine in collaboration with Terra Conscious and supported by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Mangroves for the Future went through a series of workshops on Marine Mammal and Turtle Stranding Response at the lifeguard centers in Candolim and Benaulim.
The workshops were an effort to better manage the rescue and handling of marine carcasses that wash ashore along Goa’s 105-km coastline. A Drishti official said that an entire team of 600 Drishti Marine lifeguards are trained as first responders and rescuers of distressed marine life which wash ashore. Further, 43 Forest Department officials also participated in the marine mammal and turtle stranding response workshops.
Terra Conscious conducted the workshop using interactive presentations, videos and practical demonstrations to build the capacity of the participants to address stranding of cetaceans and turtles along Goa’s shores. “The lifeguards were briefed also on the marine life which exists along the country’s west coast with an emphasis on Goa. Lifeguards are now trained to recognise the species of marine mammals and turtles, as well as their carcasses when they are washed ashore,” an official said. The workshop also touched upon the process of recording data on the prevailing marine life in an accurate manner which will help in collating statistical data and inputs for the future conservation action.
“In the previous year, we had trained only 150 lifeguards and we received a tremendous response. Hence, this year we decided to train the entire lifeguard force. Drishti Marine will be keeping necessary equipment such as gloves, measuring tapes (provided by IUCN-India) and masks in every lifeguard tower to ensure protocols are followed,” said Puja Mitra, Founder and Director, Terra Conscious.
Drishti Marine CEO Ravi Shankar said that the lifeguards are the frontline responders to marine wildlife along coastal Goa and can assist Forest Department in rescuing and collecting accurate records of incidents. “The lifeguards genuinely want to help the stranded animals and were more than willing to be trained in how to rescue them. They want to make a difference and help and it just gets that much more interesting when it’s done as part of the job,” he said.
