After a grandiose harvest, turtles returned to the Indian beach for the first time in 20 years

Mankind will surely be aware of the suffering it causes to other living species that inhabit our planet. Excessive exploitation of natural resources, habitat destruction, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species have contributed to the gradual mass extinction.

However, the story about turtles, which we will tell today, gives us hope and reason for optimism.

Sea turtles have lived in the oceans for more than 100 million years, but today their lives and habitats are heavily influenced by humans. People catch them, destroy nesting places, clog the beaches and waters in which they live. In addition, turtles die when they become entangled in fishing nets and fall on the hooks of fishermen.

However, a recent study of nesting sites conducted in different parts of the world showed a significant increase in the number of nests of sea turtles. Scientists attribute the remarkable news to conservation efforts actively pursued by enthusiasts around the world.

In the 70s of the last century, sea turtles were recognized as a vulnerable species. Laws for their protection in those days were adopted in the United States and Mexico. Since then, efforts to conserve these magnificent animals have become more active. Circular fishing hooks were patented and introduced, which are much less likely to be swallowed by turtles. We also developed special nets for catching shrimp, from which turtles can safely and easily get out. These measures reduced the mortality of turtles from marine fishing by 90%. In addition, activists conduct mass cleanings of coastal habitats of turtles.

The best example of large-scale cleaning of the beach was Versova Beach in the Indian city of Mumbai. Here, the shore was more like a rotting landfill drowning in plastic and other rubbish. After cleaning, it turned into a beautiful and picturesque coastline where turtles can safely build their nests.

Efforts were made by lawyer and ecologist Afroc Shah. With its help, over 5 million kilograms of plastic was removed from the beach in 85 weeks. He also personally observed the turtles and guarded those who were the first in many years to travel to the sea from Versova Beach after cleaning it.

"I had tears in my eyes when I saw them coming to the ocean"- says Shah.

"Every monsoon in the ocean brings plastic and rubbish to the beach."- says one of the volunteers. - But with regular cleaning, the situation on the ground changes. We have about 30 thousand schoolchildren in our registry, and about 500 volunteers come to clean the coastline every weekend. A few months ago, 6,000 people came to see us on May 31. ".