Smart Chip Private Limited, a subsidiary of Morpho, today announced its collaboration with WWF-India to protect the nesting population and conserve the habitat of olive Ridley turtles in Odisha.
The olive Ridley Turtles, that are the smallest of all sea turtles found in the world, are found in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Although marine turtles are a nationally and globally protected species, they continue to face serious threats from fisheries, coastal development and climate change.
These threats impose a drastic impact on the globally significant mass nesting population of turtles along the east coast of India, hence requiring immediate and long-term conservation measures. WWF-India has been working in Odisha since 2004 for conservation of the mass nesting rookery in the state in collaboration with the Odisha State Forest and Environment Department.
Speaking about the partnership, Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India said, "Like most other marine turtle species, olive Ridleys face serious threats across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches due to unfriendly fishing practices, infrastructure development around nesting sites and unregulated tourism."
"Conservation partnerships such as this will ensure that there is a greater awareness about the threats faced by such species across the world and in India and will help us continue our work in these areas," Ravi added.
Smart Chip has entered into a three-year pact to financially support WWF-India to ensure that this species of the turtle thrive in their habitats. "Conservation is the key to ensuring that we leave a strong legacy behind for our next generations," said Sanjeev Shriya, Senior Vice President India at Morpho, and Managing Director, Smart Chip Private Limited.