In a statement issued here after the recent visit of members of the Society to Rushikulya in Orissa, Dr M. Rama Murthy, Secretary, said the public should be sensitised to the threats faced by the rare species of turtles arriving on Orissa's shores every year.

"It is a wonderful phenomenon that adult turtles return to the same shore where they were born after a gap of 20 years or more. Then the breeding goes on in the seawaters in the vicinity of the shore between December and February every year. The males move into the sea and the females in thousands move to the shore to lay eggs. This mass nesting is technically knows as arribadas. After they are hatched, the baby turtles move back into the sea in the summer," he explained.

Dr Ramamurthy, a lecturer in a local college, said the mortality rate of Olive Ridleys was very high, with "only one out of a thousand returning to the sea." He said the turtles usually preferred three spots in Orissa — Gahiri Matha, the mouth of River Devi and Rushikulya. Of late, he said, they were moving away from the other two spots and preferring Rushikulya.

Habitat destruction on the shore, pollution and poaching were taking a heavy toll on the numbers of Olive Ridleys. The Government should also take strict steps to ensure that all trawlers were fitted with turtle excluder devices, he said. No permission should be given for hatcheries or other units near the shore.

"Now there is greater sensitivity among the local people and others, but that is still not enough to save the turtles. A lot more needs to be done. A few organisations, such as Operation Kacchapa, Green Mercy and Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee, are doing their best to save them," he said.

He said eco-tourism should be promoted and the turtles should not be disturbed in their habitat. His society was striving for the past three years to make the youth here aware of the wonderful phenomenon in Orissa and make them take part in the conservation programme.