The Safety of Humans and Turtles

The big question today is if a balance be found between environment and development? And can the development of the Dhamra port can go ahead without harming the Olive Ridley turtle population.
“Orissa is a poor state, but rich in natural resources,” said Upendra Nath Behera, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Forest & Environment Department, Government of Orissa. “The port and other projects are required for its economic development. We also have rich biodiversity in Orissa, such as Olive Ridley turtles, mangroves, and other flora and fauna. We need issues and suggestions thrown up to find a delicate balance between the environment and development.”
The Dhamra Port Company with help in the form of an agreement with IUCN are being implemented including use of turtle protective deflectors on dredgers and lighting techniques to reduce sky glow, which can confuse newborn turtles as they make their way from the beach to the sea.The most serious threat to turtle populations was identified as trawler fishing which often inadvertently traps and kills turtles in nets. This can be dramatically reduced by use of Turtle Excluder Devices on nets, but much more work is needed to introduce the practice in the area.