Recently, the Indian Coast Guard has pressed into service an aircraft for ‘Operation Oliva’ to protect Olive Ridley turtles.
What is Operation Oliva
It was initiated in the early 1980s
Every year, Operation Olivia helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.
Olive Ridley Turtles
These are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
They are carnivores
They migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
Habitat:
They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
To reduce accidental killing in India, the Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.
