Operation Oliva is a project for protecting the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Odisha Coast. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducts the operation every year to prevent olive ridleys during their mass nesting season from December to April.
Key Points for UPSC Prelims
- Operation Oliva has been launched by the Indian Coast Guard in the state of Odisha.
- It is an annual mission that aims to protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles during their breeding seasons and to conserve their natural breeding habitats.
- The Mission has been launched this year jointly with the Odisha state forest department. Two dedicated ships of the coast guard and some aircraft have been engaged in this novel nature conservation activity.
- The two ships will ensure that fishing vessels do not enter the major breeding sites of the turtles like Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, Dhamara River, and Rushikulya beach.
- In addition to this, in order to protect the olive ridley turtles, the Odisha state government has also banned sea fishing near the mouths of Devi, Dhamara, and Rusikulya River on November 1.
- The Coast guard keeps a vigil on the illegal fishing and turtle catching in this area as a part of the mission.
- The ICG also makes interactions with the fishermen and people of the local community to raise awareness on conserving the Olive Ridleys.
Olive Ridley Turtles
Olive Ridley turtles are one of the species of sea turtles and have been listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are famous for their unique mass nesting called arribadas wherein females lay eggs in the moonlight.
Prohibition of sea fishing by Odisha Government for 7 months
This year on November 1, the Odisha government prohibited sea fishing near the 20 km radius of Devi, Dhamara, and Rusikulya River which are the major nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtles. Since then, the forest department has seized 70 fishermen and 8 sea-worthy trawls were on the charge of infringement of provisions of Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982 and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.