An assessment of the olive ridley turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting population in Orissa, India

Olive ridley mass nesting events or ‘ arribadas’ have been documented in Orissa, India since 1974. However, since standardised techniques have not been used to census turtles, actual population trends remain unknown. Herein, we summarise information on nesting populations in Orissa, using data from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological conservation Vol. 115; no. 1; pp. 149 - 160
Main Authors: Shanker, Kartik, Pandav, Bivash, Choudhury, B.C.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004
Elsevier
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Arribada
Biological and medical sciences
Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife
Fishery-related mortality
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lepidochelys olivacea
Marine
Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking
Population trend
Rookery
Strip transect
ISW, India, Orissa
India
Fishery-related mortality
Arribada
Rookery
Population trend
Strip transect
Nesting
Status
Oleaceae
Olea europaea
Mortality
Fishing
Reproduction
Vertebrata
Fishery
Population survey
Chelonia
Dicotyledones
Angiospermae
Reptilia
Spermatophyta
Animal conservation
ISSN:0006-3207
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Olive ridley mass nesting events or ‘ arribadas’ have been documented in Orissa, India since 1974. However, since standardised techniques have not been used to census turtles, actual population trends remain unknown. Herein, we summarise information on nesting populations in Orissa, using data from multiple sources to arrive at consensus estimates and to derive trends. We conducted a quantitative estimate of an arribada in March 1999, where nesting was estimated as ∼180,000 turtles by the strip transect method. Non-linear (quadratic) fits for arribada data from 1976–1999 and a recent decrease in the size of adults suggest a potential or imminent decline, consistent with fishery-related mortality of at least 90,000 turtles since 1994. Though statistical support for the recent decline is equivocal, efforts to reduce mortality and close monitoring of the population would be prudent. The absence of reliable data on which to base conservation action highlights an urgent need to train management personnel in data collection and estimation techniques for effective monitoring of status, threats and trends.
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ISSN:0006-3207
DOI:10.1016/S0006-3207(03)00104-6