Goa State to host meet on turtle conservation

Around 800 participants from 50 countries across the world are expected to take part in the 30th annual symposium on ‘Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation‘ to be organized by the International Sea Turtle Society in Goa from April 24 to April 30. While the main event will be held from April 27 till April 29, pre-symposium workshops and meetings will be held on other days. ”For the first time, the symposium is coming to the South Asian region, Kartik Shanker president, International Sea Turtle Society said.

The symposium is being jointly hosted and organized by sea turtle conservation groups, research organizations and institutions that work on marine environment issues across India and South Asia. ”The ISTS Annual Symposium is truly unique, drawing an enormous number and diversity of people interested in these intriguing animals and their habitats,” Shanker said.

Sea turtles live on land and sea, and migrate across the oceans to shores, from cold temperates to warm tropical waters. “They migrate across ocean basins. And through the course of several thousand years, they have connected us ecologically and culturally to the sea,” an activist said.

The symposium will attempt to focus on marine and coastal habitats, fisheries and other livelihood-related issues, environmental impacts, and much more, within the context of sea turtle biology and conservation.

“The presence of Olive Ridleys, greens and leatherbacks have been reported in Goa. Olive Ridleys are common, but sightings of green turtles and leatherbacks are sporadic,” said a turtle conservationist. “Except for some reports of nesting of leatherbacks along the 2km stretch of Beach at Morjim, all other records have been of Olive Ridley sightings,” the source added.

The threats faced by sea turtles everywhere mainly comprise poaching, incidental catches in fishing nets and developmental activity along the coast. ”The killing of adult turtles does not occur very regularly and this has been attributed mainly to religious beliefs. Like in other parts of the country, incidental catches usually occur in trawler nets. Trawl boat owners are either unaware of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) or are disinclined to using them,” one of the participants said.