Turtle Trails

Context

Recently, the Union Finance Minister announced the development of “Turtle Trails” along the coastal areas of Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala during the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27.

Key Highlights of the Turtle Trail Initiative (2026)

1. Strategic Objectives

Sustainable Eco-Tourism: The trails are designed to offer world-class, ecologically sensitive tourism experiences without disturbing the sensitive nesting habitats.
Habitat Protection: By formalizing tourism “trails,” the government aims to regulate visitor movement, thereby reducing the impact of unregulated beach tourism on nesting sites.
Livelihood Generation: The project includes training local youth as “Turtle Guardians” and professional tour guides through a pilot project in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

2. Geographic Focus Areas

Odisha Coast: Focuses on the world-renowned “Rookeries” at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Rushikulya River mouth, and the Devi River mouth.
Karnataka Coast: Focuses on the districts of Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada, where nesting frequency has significantly increased in recent years.
Kerala Coast: Aims to preserve the sporadic nesting sites along the Malabar coast, integrating them into the larger maritime heritage circuit.

3. Technological Integration: Satellite Telemetry

Tracking Migration: To support these trails with scientific data, India has intensified satellite tagging. Recent studies showed a turtle tagged in Odisha traveled as far as the Sri Lankan shore.
Bycatch Mitigation: Data from these “trails” and tags help the Fisheries Department identify high-risk zones where fishing activity may be regulated to prevent accidental entanglement in trawl nets.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles: Basic Details

Feature	Details
Scientific Name	Lepidochelys olivacea
IUCN Status	Vulnerable
Legal Protection	Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (Highest protection).
Unique Behavior	Arribada: Mass nesting where thousands of females come ashore simultaneously to lay eggs.
Diet	Carnivorous (jellyfish, snails, crabs, and shrimp).
Major Threats	Marine pollution, plastic ingestion, coastal lighting (disorients hatchlings), and trawling.

Q. With reference to the "Turtle Trail" initiative and sea turtle conservation in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Turtle Trail initiative was specifically announced in the Union Budget 2026 to be developed along the coasts of Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala.
2. Olive Ridley turtles are the only sea turtle species in the world that exhibit the unique mass nesting behavior known as "Arribada."
3. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Olive Ridley turtles are placed under Schedule II, allowing for regulated community harvesting of eggs.
4. Satellite telemetry studies in India have confirmed that Olive Ridley turtles nesting in Odisha can migrate as far as the coast of Sri Lanka.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Correct Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation
STATEMENT 1 IS CORRECT: The Union Budget 2026-27 explicitly named Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala as the primary states for the development of ecologically sustainable Turtle Trails.
STATEMENT 2 IS INCORRECT: While Olive Ridleys are most famous for it, the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle also exhibits the Arribada mass nesting behavior.
STATEMENT 3 IS INCORRECT: Olive Ridleys are protected under Schedule I (not Schedule II) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which prohibits any form of harvesting or trade.
STATEMENT 4 IS CORRECT: Recent satellite tagging programs conducted by the Odisha Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have successfully tracked turtles migrating from the Odisha coast to the Tamil Nadu coast and Sri Lankan waters.