Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter No. 31 tagging and monitoring in southern Mozambique. African Sea Scientific Reports 6: 37851. Turtle Newsletter 2: 31-33. Swaminathan, A., N. Namboothri & K. Shanker. 2019. Tracking Reina, R.D., P.A. Mayor, J.R. Spotila, R. Piedra & F.V. Paladino. leatherback turtles from Little Andaman Island. Indian Ocean 2002. Nesting ecology of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys Turtle Newsletter 29: 8-10. coriacea, at Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, Costa Rica: 1988–1989 to 1999–2000. Copeia 2002: 653-664. Zanre, R. 2005. Report on Watamu Turtle Watch’s sea turtle bycatch release programme, Watamu, Robinson, N.J., S.J. Morreale, R. Nel, & F.V. Paladino. 2016. Kenya. Local Ocean Conservation, Watamu, Kenya. Coastal leatherback turtles reveal conservation hotspot. IMPACT OF NGO DRIVEN CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES ON LOCAL SEA TURTLE POPULATIONS AT CHAVAKKAD BEACH, KERALA, INDIA SUJIT SUNDARAM#, N.J. JAMES & ABDUL SALEEM T.M. Green Habitat, Pavaratty, Thrissur District, Kerala, India #
[email protected] INTRODUCTION businesspersons and other persons from different occupations. The Forest Department has given support Green Habitat is an NGO committed to the conservation to the NGO by their presence at the meetings with the of sea turtles at Chavakkad beach (10.62o N, 75.99o E), local fisher folk and other stakeholders. The NGO has Kerala, South India. This is the largest nesting site for olive also collaborated with local groups and self-government ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles in Kerala, with most institutions, including the Mullassery Block Panchayat nesting on the 6km coastline spanning Edakkazhiyur, (rural local government), Pavaratty Gram Panchayat Panchavadi and Akalad.