TREE Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, working for the protection of sea turtles and other endangered marine species, organised a workshop on “Strengthening Community in Conserving and Releasing Entangled Marine Megafauna (Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales and Whale Shark) along Chengalpattu Coast,” on Feb.9 at the Thalathalaiyur Kuppam Estuary, Chengalpattu District.
The AD & Inspectors of the Fisheries Department, Forest Range Officer, Chengalpattu, the Coast Guard, Marine Police personnel, and Inspector of Police, Cheyyur, along with the volunteers from the local fishing communities and youth participated in the workshop.
The TREE Foundation conducted the workshop as a large number of dead turtles have been reported due to entanglement in fishing gears and ghost nets-related injuries. The workshop aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the local youth fishing community in identifying, recording, measuring, conserving and releasing marine megafauna, including dolphins, whales, sharks, rays, and turtles from fishing gear and ghost nets.
The workshop also provided the fishermen and participants with an excellent opportunity to interact, exchange and share ideas and thus strengthen the network with other enforcement agencies that are charged with the protection of the marine environment and endangered marine life.
The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Supraja Dharini, the founder and chairperson of TREE Foundation, who has been actively involved in the community-based sea turtle conservation programme for the past 21 years. Dr. Dharini shared her expertise and experience on the biology, ecology, threats, and conservation of marine megafauna, especially sea turtles.
The senior Sea Turtle Protection Force members also demonstrated the techniques and protocols for recording, handling, measuring, and releasing endangered marine animals safely and humanely back to sea. Although some of the fishermen have already been identifying and releasing several sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks that were entangled in fishing nets and ghost nets at sea, it is important to expand the program to motivate and bring the majority of fishermen under its fold.
During the workshop the fishermen participants also learned how to record data: the GPS location, the nautical miles, what net or ghost net the species was observed entangled in and video record the marine megafauna incidents to the respective STPF who share the same to the TREE Foundation office. The data will then be shared with the relevant authorities.
The workshop also included practical demonstration sessions, where the participants were taken to the nearby estuary to practise the process and record the marine megafauna sightings and release of entangled marine animals using models of marine animals.
