Marine turtle conservation programs in villages of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Maharashtra is active in sea turtle conservation and its citizen actions with support of forest department are highly commendable particularly in some regions of southern Maharashtra. During the surveys conducted at Harne and Kolthare villages of Ratnagiri in March 2019 it was observed that local volunteers known as “Kasav Mitra” identified by Forest Department, in Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra are undertaking beach patrolling and relocating the eggs to secured enclosures for multiple reasons such as the egg sites being too close to tide water level, beaches open to public that can result in eggs being unknowingly crushed by beachgoers, or dug up by dogs or targeted poaching