<p>Chennai: Tamil Nadu has released the highest number of sea turtles into the Bay of Bengal, as the nesting season for the marine species came to an end.</p>.<p>Tamil Nadu, with the longest coastline of 1,076 km, is regularly visited by marine turtles including Olive Ridley, Green Turtles, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles during the season.</p>.<p>Olive Ridley turtles are the more frequent visitors to the Tamil Nadu coasts.</p>.<p>The Forest department begins the preparations for the sea turtle season in November each year, which includes making temporary hatcheries for the turtles, orientation programme for staff and conducting inter-departmental meetings followed by night patrolling operations, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change Supriya Sahu said.</p>.<p>The conservation exercise by the department saw participation of the 185 field staff and 264 volunteers this year.</p>.<p>During the current nesting season, the department established 53 hatcheries in 13 districts.</p>.<p>A total of 2,363 nests were collected with 2,58,775 eggs, which were translocated to hatcheries set up by the department.</p>.Wildlife smuggler arrested with 22 wildlife turtles in UP.<p>Till date, the department released 2,15,778 hatchlings this year, compared to last year's 1,82,917.</p>.<p>Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Chennai recorded a large number of hatchlings following the conservation exercise.</p>.<p>The government has already announced the setting up of Sea Turtle Conservation Centres in Chennai and Nagapattinam districts to give impetus to the conservation efforts of these species.</p>
<p>Chennai: Tamil Nadu has released the highest number of sea turtles into the Bay of Bengal, as the nesting season for the marine species came to an end.</p>.<p>Tamil Nadu, with the longest coastline of 1,076 km, is regularly visited by marine turtles including Olive Ridley, Green Turtles, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles during the season.</p>.<p>Olive Ridley turtles are the more frequent visitors to the Tamil Nadu coasts.</p>.<p>The Forest department begins the preparations for the sea turtle season in November each year, which includes making temporary hatcheries for the turtles, orientation programme for staff and conducting inter-departmental meetings followed by night patrolling operations, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change Supriya Sahu said.</p>.<p>The conservation exercise by the department saw participation of the 185 field staff and 264 volunteers this year.</p>.<p>During the current nesting season, the department established 53 hatcheries in 13 districts.</p>.<p>A total of 2,363 nests were collected with 2,58,775 eggs, which were translocated to hatcheries set up by the department.</p>.Wildlife smuggler arrested with 22 wildlife turtles in UP.<p>Till date, the department released 2,15,778 hatchlings this year, compared to last year's 1,82,917.</p>.<p>Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Chennai recorded a large number of hatchlings following the conservation exercise.</p>.<p>The government has already announced the setting up of Sea Turtle Conservation Centres in Chennai and Nagapattinam districts to give impetus to the conservation efforts of these species.</p>