Isn’t it fascinating? A gigantic turtle stands before you. This is the Turtle Statue of Chennai. It spans 30 feet in length and 25 feet in width. The Turtle Statue stands proud at 20 feet high. It is not just any oversized reptile. The Turtle Statue is part of the Times of India’s Unplastic India Initiative.
The sculpture sends a mighty message. It is comprised of 600 kg of discarded plastic bottles. These bottles were retrieved from Chennai’s streets. Also, the Turtle Statue uses an additional 700 kg of iron waste. You can find the Turtle Statue on Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar, Chennai.
Visitors can walk inside the Turtle Statue. Experiencing the artwork up close can be special. Its purpose is to prompt individuals to rethink their relationship with single-use plastic. It aims to raise awareness about its detrimental effects. These effects harm the environment and marine life.
Chennai has an impressive record in turtle conservation. It all started in 1972. Renowned herpetologist Romulus Whitaker took up the task of saving turtles. Whitaker ran a small hatchery near the Cholamandal village. They did sea turtle conservation work for 10 years. They had to stop in 1982. The Forest Department took over conservation work of the protected sea turtle then.
Whitaker found an interesting relationship between turtles and fishermen. Fishermen worshipped the turtle. If a turtle crawled into their hut they felt honoured. They put wet sand on top of its shell. Also, they stuck incense sticks on it. It was funny to see these turtles crawling around with incense sticks on their back.
Founded in 1987, the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network is Chennai’s oldest extant organisation involved in sea turtle conservation. Powered by student volunteers SSTCN continues to keep its operations small. The group has even refused corporate funding. It aims at keeping consumption to a minimum.
Starting in 2002, TREE Foundation spent years earning the trust of fishing villages. Now, it has a team of fishermen. They are called the Kadal Aamai Pathukavalar or the Sea Turtle Protection Force. They man its hatcheries and scout the beaches.
Every fishing village has seen frantic activity by TREE Foundation personnel. This happens during the Olive Ridley nesting season. They now inform the organisation about developments. This includes information about turtles and all other marine life.
An increasing number of fishing hamlets are being brought into the sea turtle conservation net. Orienting and training the fishermen of these villages in conservation activities has become an easier task.
Sadly, more than 1100 dead olive ridley turtles have washed ashore on the beaches of Tamil Nadu state. Most were found near Chennai. Typically, between 100-150 turtles nest on Chennai’s beaches annually. The stranding of more than 1000 turtles is surprising.
Commercial fishing vessels operating in Chennai’s waters often don’t abide by local laws. Tamil Nadu has banned trawlers within 5 nautical miles from shore but the law isn’t typically enforced. Trawler nets must have turtle excluder devices installed but nobody notoriously has it. Following media coverage the Tamil Nadu government caught 24 trawler boats operating illegally in Chennai’s waters and has created a special task force.
Remember this magnificent Turtle Statue. It is a reminder of our responsibility to protect marine life. Chennai is actively involved in marine conservation. Let’s support these efforts.