OPERATION OLIVIA from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

OPERATION OLIVIA

• Operation Olivia is an annual mission conducted by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• It is aimed at protecting Olive Ridley turtles during their nesting season along the eastern coast of India, especially in Odisha.
• The operation is carried out every year from November to May, covering the entire breeding and nesting period of these turtles.

• The operation is named after the Olive Ridley turtle, a species of sea turtle found in warm waters, including the Bay of Bengal.
• These turtles are known for their mass nesting behavior (Arribada) and are vulnerable, facing several threats due to human activity.

• Operation Olivia mainly covers coastal areas of:
  • Odisha (especially Gahirmatha Beach and Rushikulya River Mouth)
  • Parts of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
• Gahirmatha Beach is the world’s largest rookery (nesting site) for Olive Ridley turtles.
• The Rushikulya River mouth has also emerged as a key site in recent years for mass nesting.

• In February 2025, a record-breaking 6.98 lakh (698,000) Olive Ridley turtles were protected during their nesting at Rushikulya River mouth in Odisha.
• This was made possible through the Indian Coast Guard’s continuous monitoring and protection activities under Operation Olivia.

• Since its inception, Operation Olivia has conducted:
  • 5,387 surface patrol sorties
  • 1,768 aerial surveillance missions
• These operations help monitor illegal fishing, track turtle movements, and ensure no human disturbance in nesting zones.

• A total of 366 boats involved in illegal fishing were detained during the operation period.
• These boats were violating fishing regulations in protected zones, posing a threat to turtle safety.

• The ICG works closely with local fishing communities to ensure:
  • Use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in fishing nets to reduce accidental turtle deaths.
  • Awareness drives and educational programs to promote turtle conservation.
  • Partnerships with NGOs via formal Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to promote sustainable fishing and biodiversity protection.

• Olive Ridley turtles are listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List.
• India legally protects them under:
  • Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (provides highest protection).
  • They are also covered under international conventions like:
    • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)
    • CMS (Convention on Migratory Species)
    • IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU, to which India is a signatory.

• Illegal fishing and trawling during nesting season
• Net entanglement
• Pollution and habitat degradation
• Disturbance by coastal development and tourism

• Olive Ridley turtles help maintain marine ecological balance by:
  • Controlling jellyfish populations
  • Promoting healthy seagrass beds, which are important carbon sinks
• Their eggs also serve as nutrients for coastal ecosystems.

• Olive Ridley turtles display a unique nesting behavior called Arribada, where thousands of females come ashore simultaneously to lay eggs.
• Odisha is one of the very few places in the world where this phenomenon occurs, making it globally significant.