Turtle researchers opposes NITI Aayog’s plans to develop two islands in the Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar.

Turtle researchers opposes NITI Aayog’s plans to develop two islands in the Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar.

Subject : Environment

Context : Turtle researchers have banded together to launch a signature campaign against the NITI Aayog’s plans to develop two islands in the Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar. They say the islands’ rich biodiversity will be greatly affected if the plans reach fruition.

Concept :

• The campaign has been launched under the leadership of the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), Chennai, to oppose the plans for Little Andaman and Great Nicobar islands.
• The islands provide nesting sites for leatherback turtles and are also home to indigenous peoples like the Shompen and the Onge.
• This made these nesting sites globally significant and internationally important for marine ecological health and global leatherback numbers in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean, the letter added.
• Besides Little Andaman Island, Great Nicobar Island holds one of the most important global leatherback nesting sites: Galathea Bay, within the Galathea Bay wildlife sanctuary.
• The National Marine Turtle Action Plan released February 1, 2021, has listed Galathea Bay as one of the ‘Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas’ and ‘Important Marine Turtle Habitats’ in India.

Leatherback sea turtle

• Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelyscoriacea) is largest of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet and also the most long-ranging, being found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic.
• Within the Indian Ocean, they nest only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys and family Dermochelyidae.
• It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell, hence the name. Instead, its carapace is covered by skin and oily flesh.
• They are listed in Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, according it the highest legal protection.