SOP released to conserve sea turtles across 36 islands of Lakshadweep
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the conservation of sea turtles across all 36 islands of Lakshadweep.
The SOP addresses key threats including coastal development, entanglement in fishing nets, and artificial light pollution at nesting beaches — which disorients hatchlings away from the sea.
Uninhabited islands such as Thinnakara, Parali, Kalpitti, Suheli, and Cheriyam serve as major nesting grounds and are focal points of the conservation protocol.
The SOP mandates standardised protocols for nest monitoring, hatchery management, and community-based reporting by local fishermen and island residents.
All species of sea turtles found in Lakshadweep — Green turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Olive Ridley, and occasional Leatherback — are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — Schedule I Protection
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides a graduated system of protection across six Schedules. Animals listed in Schedule I receive the highest degree of protection — hunting, poaching, or trade is a non-bailable criminal offence. All species of sea turtles found in Indian waters are listed under Schedule I of this Act. The Act also empowers state governments and Union Territory administrations to notify Sanctuaries and National Parks for further habitat protection.
Key Details
- Schedule I species: hunting is a cognizable, non-bailable offence
- Maximum penalty: imprisonment up to 7 years and/or fine up to ₹25,000 for first offence
- Amendment in 1991 strengthened sea turtle protections
- Lakshadweep's Department of Environment and Forests enforces these provisions as a Union Territory
The SOP builds upon the existing Schedule I protection framework by operationalising it through specific field-level protocols — filling the enforcement gap between legal protection and on-ground conservation.
Sea Turtle Species in Indian Waters
India hosts five of the world's seven sea turtle species. The three most significant in Indian waters are: (1) Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) — IUCN Vulnerable, world's most abundant sea turtle, famous for mass nesting (Arribada) on Odisha's Gahirmatha coast; (2) Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) — IUCN Endangered, significant presence in Lakshadweep lagoons; (3) Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) — IUCN Critically Endangered, found in Lakshadweep coral reef ecosystems.
Key Details
- Olive Ridley: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List); nests in Odisha (Gahirmatha, Rushikulya), Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu
- Green Turtle: Endangered (IUCN); most common in Lakshadweep lagoons
- Hawksbill: Critically Endangered (IUCN); targeted for shell (tortoiseshell trade)
- Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea): Vulnerable (IUCN); largest sea turtle, occasionally seen in Lakshadweep waters
Lakshadweep's SOP is significant because the islands host Green and Hawksbill turtles — including a Critically Endangered species — making conservation interventions here especially high-value.
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and CITES
India is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS / Bonn Convention), which covers sea turtles as they migrate across international boundaries. All sea turtles are listed on Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), prohibiting commercial trade in sea turtle products (shells, eggs, meat). The Indian Ocean–South-East Asia (IOSEA) Marine Turtle MOU, operating under CMS, provides a regional framework for turtle conservation.
Key Details
- CMS (Bonn Convention, 1979): India is a signatory; Appendix I species need strict protection
- CITES Appendix II: sea turtles require export permits; commercial trade banned
- IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU: 37 signatory states including India
- Project Sea Turtle: India's dedicated national programme under MoEFCC
The SOP aligns India's domestic obligations with its international treaty commitments under CMS and IOSEA, demonstrating compliance with multilateral conservation frameworks.
Light Pollution and Nesting Beach Ecology
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most documented threats to sea turtle nesting success. Female turtles use light cues to find nesting beaches, and hatchlings use the natural luminance of the sea horizon (brighter than the landward sky) to navigate to the ocean. Artificial lights from resorts, fishing boats, and coastal infrastructure disorient hatchlings toward land, causing death by dehydration, predation, or road traffic.
Key Details
- Lakshadweep's coastal development (tourism, fishing harbours) has increased ALAN on previously dark nesting beaches
- SOPs typically mandate red or amber lighting (wavelengths less visible to turtles), light shields, and seasonal lighting restrictions
- Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are mandated by CITES for trawl fisheries to prevent bycatch
The MoEFCC SOP specifically addresses light pollution alongside fishing-net entanglement — the two leading anthropogenic threats to sea turtle populations in island ecosystems.
- Lakshadweep has 36 islands (12 inhabited, 24 uninhabited) and is India's only coral atoll system
- India hosts 5 of 7 sea turtle species globally
- All sea turtles: Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — highest domestic protection
- Olive Ridley status: Vulnerable (IUCN); most abundant sea turtle globally
- Green Turtle: Endangered (IUCN); predominant in Lakshadweep lagoons
- Hawksbill Turtle: Critically Endangered (IUCN); found in Lakshadweep coral ecosystems
- CITES Appendix II: all sea turtles; commercial trade in turtle products banned
- IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU: regional CMS mechanism; 37 signatories including India
- Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Odisha: largest Olive Ridley nesting beach in the world
- Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs): mandatory in trawl nets to reduce bycatch
- Project Sea Turtle: India's national conservation programme under MoEFCC