The olive ridley population in Indian waters is most threatened by drowning in the trawl nets of the trawlers off Orissa coast. A number of measures have been prescribed by the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulatory Act and Rules (OMFRA) and even the Central Empowered Committee. It is a delicate balance of livelihood of the fishermen and the Olive Ridley turtles. TED touted as a solution, has found few takers for the simple reason that TED nets yield far lesser catch than the regular trawl net.

The recent failure of arribadas and a sharp 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, and 10000-15000 turtles per year since 1999. Other major threats include plantations near the coast resulting in habitat loss at the Devi River mouth and artificial illumination from towns and highways in Rushikulya. New ports and other development initiatives near mass nesting beaches are potentially a major threat to this population.

The major management problems are related to the lack of implementation of existing laws and regulations due to:

• Lack of capacity in enforcement agencies
• Lack of clarity for stakeholders about regulations
• Lack of dialogue between stakeholders – inadequate coordination between enforcement agencies (Fisheries and Forestry)
• Department, Coast Guard and insufficient communication with fishing communities and sectors (artisanal, gillnetters with outboard motors, mechanized trawlers)
• No stakeholder participation in design of management measures Lack of appropriate monitoring and evaluation protocols

Major Threats

Like other long-lived species, olive ridleys are prone to population declines because of slow intrinsic growth rate in combination with anthropogenic impacts. These can accumulate over a protracted development through various life stages, multiple habitats (nesting beaches, migratory routes and pelagic foraging zones) and vast geographic expanses.

Habitat impacts

Degradation, transformation and destruction of natural conditions at nesting beaches from coastal developments continue to threaten the long-term survival of many olive ridley rookeries. Transformation of nesting habitat comes from the construction of new aquaculture ponds, fishing harbors and tourist facilities, as well as growth of existing coastal villages which are increasing in many parts of the world within the range of the olive ridley, particularly along the east coast of India and in some zones in coastal México to Central America. These impacts contribute stress directly through the loss of nesting habitat or indirectly through changes in the thermal profiles of the beach, increased light pollution and sewage effluents.

Global warming has the potential to impact the habitats and ecosystems of olive ridley populations worldwide but the specific impacts are purely speculative at this time. Most accounts have focused on the impact of global warming on incubation temperatures of eggs, which influence the sex ratio of the embryos.