Project Kachhapa

Project Kachapa is the turtle conservation programme initiated by WPSI, Non-Governmental organisation.

Coastal regions of Odisha,especially,Gahirmata beach and mouths of Rushikulya river and devi river are famous for breeding grounds of Olive Ridley Turtles. They mate in the coastal region and lay off the eggs in the beachs of odisha in the period between december-march. 

Threats:-

Odisha coasts have more than 20,000 fishing boats, among which many are mechanised use trawlers and heavy nets. These fishing monsters disturbs the life cycle of the olive ridley turtles. These boats and their activity near the beach areas kills Turtles in heavy number.  Thats why WPSI started the Conservation programme for the Olive Ridley Turtles in 1998. 

Initiatives under Project kachhapa:-

1. To improve patrolling of non-fishing zones and the protection of nesting sites.

2. To support legal action on turtle conservation and fishing law violations.

3. To build public support and awareness of sea turtle conservation issues.

In collaboration with the Orissa State Forest Department and the Wildlife Society of Orissa and other local NGOs, programme activities have included:

i      Providing the State enforcement authorities with sea-going patrol boats, that have seized   hundreds of trawling and gill-netting vessels;

ii Organizing field camps to protect and monitor turtle movements;

iii Carrying out sea turtle mortality counts;

iv Providing legal support to:

o Protect the sea turtles and their habitat

o Restrict illegal mechanized fishing

o Encourage trawlers to use mandatory turtle excluder devices (TEDs);

5. Organizing multi-language awareness programmes;

6.  Setting up a Turtle Interpretation Centre in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa's capital, to help spread awareness of the need for conservation activities;

 7. Providing logistical support to the UNDP Turtle Project.

A special turtle song was composed in Oriya, Orissa's local language, so that traditional methods of communication such as song, dance and storytelling could be used in the awareness programme.

Operation Kachhapa has had a significant impact on the number of sea turtle deaths and public awareness of the problem. But construction activity along the coast is relentless and sadly thousands of turtles still die every year from the the illegal fishing boats that ply off the coast of Orissa. The future of the Olive Ridley sea turtle is still a matter of great concern.