With the Olive Ridley turtle nesting season underway, a professor from the University of Edinburgh has raised concerns over a proposed measure to remove street dogs from Chennai’s beaches. In a letter addressed to the Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Forest Department, and Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, Prof. Krithika Srinivasan, Professor of Political Ecology at the University of Edinburgh, warned that such a move could exacerbate the problem.
The Olive Ridley turtle nesting season in Chennai typically spans from December to April, with peak activity between January and March. Female turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs on the city’s beaches, particularly at Marina Beach, Besant Nagar (Elliot’s Beach), and Neelankarai. Reports indicate that authorities are considering temporarily removing street dogs from these areas to mitigate potential threats to the nesting turtles.
However, according to Prof. Krithika, displacing resident street dogs would not eliminate threats to the turtles but exacerbate the problem by allowing new, unacquainted dogs to take their place. “Street dogs are one among other commensal species adapted to human-dominated environments. When resident dogs are removed, the vacated ecological niches will be quickly reoccupied within a couple of weeks by other dogs from neighboring areas,” the letter stated.
She pointed out that new dogs entering the area would pose increased risks to turtle nests, as they would lack established non-turtle food sources and could engage in predation of eggs and hatchlings. Besides, their unfamiliarity with the territory might lead to more wandering and territorial fights, further disrupting the nesting process, he said.
The professor highlighted that existing research identifies trawl and gillnet fishing, habitat destruction, and artificial lighting as the primary threats to Olive Ridley turtles, with fishing accounting for over 70% of recorded turtle mortality along India's coasts. The turtles found dead along Chennai this season show signs of drowning or entanglement in fishing nets, reinforcing these findings.
Prof. Krithika recommended alternative conservation strategies, such as establishing terrestrial fencing around turtle nesting sites and increasing patrolling during nesting season and long-term management of local dog populations through habitat management, particularly by reducing commercial food sources near nesting areas.