FSL- India started the Sea Turtle conservation Project in co-operation with the Forest Department of the  Karnataka state Government in the Kundapur taluk of Udupi District.

The aim of this project is to conserve sea turtles in this area, protecting their eggs, rescue wounded turtle, raising awareness among children , Community and reducing threats towards them.

Karnataka is the habitat of the Olive Ridley and Green Sea Turtles, between  September to February each year turtle comes to the beaches around Kundapur to lay  their eggs. After 20 years of living in the ocean and after swimming thousands  of miles, the female sea turtles always come back to the beach to nest where they hatched. But since a couple of years things have been changed. Mainly because of  the rising pollution of the oceans and beaches, infrastructural developments activities  near beach area like new harbors, roads, Street lights on beaches, Deep Sea Fishing, buildings, every year less and less turtles  come to the beaches to lay their eggs. Their population decreases at such an  alarming rate that sea turtles are now threatened with extinction and considered as Endangered species. As a result,  also the number of nests declines every year.

FSL-India Sea-turtle conservation team is very happy that we found first nest during this year 2016-17 season in two locations. We received an call from our Contact person by saying found turtle eggs on 20^th @ Kodi near light house and @ Marvante on 21^st January & we got 116 and 120 eggs respectively.

As soon we received the information firstly we informed Kundapur & Brahmavar forest department to help us for building hatchery. We all together reached the location With the help of forest department, local fisherman we built hatchery for nest to protect from predators like dogs, birds, crabs, humans…… Thus we successfully build hatchery for nest and expecting the hatching’s by March 3^rd, Besides placed Departmental boards over the gate and as a caution for public not to touch or destroy it.

Thank you for forest department and local fishermen for the support.