Action for Food Programme:www.afpro.org

APOWA (Action for Protection of Wild Animals) http://www.apowa.org/welfare.htm

Dakshin Foundation (www.dakshin.org)
Contact Persons: Aarthi Sridhar and Kartik Shanker

Green Life Rural Association (this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)

Members of the Green Life Rural Association were actively involved in the sea turtle research project of Wildlife Institute of India from 1993-1999 carried out on the Orissa coast. Many of the members worked as volunteers or as field assistants with the research team of Wildlife Institute of India. The members have also assisted the Operation Kachhapa program of the Wildlife Society of Orissa between 2000 to 2004. GLRA was formed in 1993, by a group of thirteen committed village youth who were then working on the Wildlife Institute of India’s sea turtle project. Members of GLRA also worked in Operation Kachhapa when it was launched, at the time as a joint operation with the Forest Department and Wildlife Protection Society of India.

GLRA’s activities are focused in the Devi river mouth region. The mass nesting of the olive ridleys was first discovered in the Devi region in 1981. However, little attention has been paid to this area, with the mass nesting beaches of Gahirmatha to the north and Rushikulya to the south hogging most of the limelight. Devi suffered from the lack of attention paid to it. By 1993, much of the nesting space at this rookery had been lost to Casuarina plantations, ironically planted by the forest department, which is supposed to protect the interest of wildlife species such as the sea turtle.

Although significant turtle congregations have been observed in the area, mass nesting at this beach is infrequent, possibly a result of the heavy illegal trawling that takes place in the area. However, the area remains significant on account of the sporadic nesting that takes place every year, though a majority of such nests are subject to predation. With the right amount of protection, it is hoped that the turtles will once again feel safe enough to return to Devi en masse.

A key aspect of GLRA’s turtle conservation work is the awareness programme it has launched in the coastal village of Puri District, using a group of seven musicians and signers. Through creatively designed songs and dances held before village audiences, the group throws light on the basics of turtle biology, the importance of the species in the ecosystem and the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court, which has recognised the important role to be played by the traditional fishing communities of Orissa in turtle protection. This is perhaps one of the few examples in the country where small village level groups are explaining the orders of the highest court in the land to those most affected, at the grass roots level. In the near future, the group plans to include the villages of Jagatsinghpur District in this programme as well.

In the year 2007-08 GLRA started a programme to control the stray dog population in the Devi mass nesting area with the help of Blue Cross of Hyderabad and Government of Orissa, Department of Animal Husbandry. Also, as part of our green campaign in the same year GLRA distributed 500 fruit tree saplings (mango, coconut and lemon) among 1,000 fisherman families in Devi coast for alternative source of livelihood of the fishing community.

In the year 2009-10 GLRA built an artificial reef with the help of the local fisher community and funding support from the Orissa Marine Resources Conservation Consortium (OMRCC) to create fish reserves in some parts of the mass congregation area in Devi. This artificial reef (made of concrete blocks) will stop net fishing in the area and the artificial reef may help fish and marine life to make this their new home. Fisherman can catch fish in this area by hook line and this is also now opens up a potential avenue for ecotourism through angling tourism.

GLRA has also started a new programme with the help of FSL-India to bring some volunteers to work in Devi on the Turtle Friends project.

Contact person: Sovakar Behera, Founder/General Secretary, Green Life Rural Association.
Postal address:
Gundalaba village (Devi Coast), P.O. Kusmber, Via Astarang, Puri District – 752109, Orissa
Phone: +91 9937514061/+91 9437698321
Email: wildlife_sovakar@yahoo.co.in,
green life_turtle@hotmail.com

Greenpeace India: http://www.greenpeace.org/india/

Maa Ganga Devi Santhi Maitri Yuvak Sangha (this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)

Over the years Rushikulya has emerged as one of the largest sea turtle nesting beaches in India. However, this area is subjected to severe natural as well as human related disturbances. A multitude of problems ranging from artificial illumination to extensive beach erosion exist in this area. The olive ridley and the beach to which they come for en-masse nesting need more protection and involvement of more agencies not only strengthen the area from conservation point of view but can also make a stage before the Union Government of India for declaring this area as Community Reserve. With this concept and with a vision to serve community development, the Maa Ganga Devi Santhi Maitri Juvak Sangha started functioning in the Purunabandha in 2001. The MDSMJS has a total membership of 25 and the youth from this NGO mostly involves with the Operation Kachhapa’s conservation programme as well as work in close association with the Orissa Forest Department. The other social work of this organization includes Nehuru Yuva Kendra’s campaign for clean and green village.

Mailing Address : Purunabandha, PO – Palibandha,Via/Dist – Ganjam – 761 021 (Orissa)
Telephone Number : 09861031901
Total members : ~25
Jurisdiction : Ganjam District, Orissa
Contact person : Budhhimantha Rao, President

Orissa Traditional Fishworkers Union(this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)
Since 1989, the leaders from the fishing community have worked toward uniting the various marine fishworker groups across the six districts of Orissa. Finally, in 1995, the ‘Orissa Traditional Fishworkers Union (OTFWU)’ took birth with the representation of fisher leaders from all six districts. For better coordination and effective functioning, the OTFWU formed district level unions and has linked up with ‘Samudram’, an active federation of women fishworkers working towards the welfare of fisher women and children since 1992 in the districts of Ganjam and Puri. Since 1995, the Union in association with the National Fishworkers Forum
has been active along the coast of Orissa and acts as a pressure group to mobilise government
resources for the benefit of traditional fishers. The vision of the OTFWU is to foster harmony,
fraternity and brotherhood among traditional fishworkers, preserve their cultural heritage and
support needy fellows to lead a dignified life with self-reliance along with other communities in Orissa.

The objectives of the OTFWU include:
Mobilising all traditional fishworkers and bringing them to the fold of OTFWU.
Promoting unity among traditional fishworkers from the grassroots level to the State level.
Strengthening affiliated district unions to exert pressure on the district administration and
Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Generating awareness among traditional fishers on education, health and environment.
Developing capacity of district and state unionleaders to identify common issues and strategise
campaign techniques to address micro and macro issues that affect the lives and livelihoods
of traditional fishers.
Liaison and network with other like-minded groups and movements to fight for common
causes.

The OTFWU has spearheaded advocacy efforts to ensure that the rights of the traditional fishworkers are not impacted by turtle conservation measures. They have negotiated on behalf of the traditional fishworkers with the state government and have petitioned the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee on this matter. The OTFWU has also highlighted their experiences on mitigating the adverse impacts of conservation on the livelihoods of traditional fishworkers to other national and international forums. At the same time, the OTFWU along with Samudram has expressed it’s interest in being part of turtle conservation measures and is pressing for conservation that does not impact the traditional sector of fishers.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Mailing Address : OTFWU, At: Sana Aryapali, PO: Bada Aryapali, Via: Ganjam, Orissa,
India, Pin: 761 020
Telephone Number : +91-6811-262286
Fax Number : + 91-6811- 254314
E-Mail : otfwu@hotmail.com
Members Traditional fishworkers from all 6 districts of Orissa.
Area of operation : Orissa
Contact person : K. Aleya, General Secretary, OTWFU

Peera Jahania Fish Workers’ Union (this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)
The Peera Jahania Fish Workers’ Union is based in Gundalaba village in Astarang block of Puri district. It is a union that has been closely involved in safeguarding the rights of the traditional fisherfolk of Gundalaba. The union has shown keen interest in being involved in sea turtle protection efforts.

Mailing Address : At Gundalaba, Po. Kusumber, Via Astaranga, Dist Puri – 752 109, Orissa
Telephone Number :
Jurisdiction : Ganjam District, Orissa
Contact person : Dharmananda Malik, President

Project Swarajya: www.projectswarajya.com

Samudram http://www.samudramodisha.com/
Contact Person: Mrs. B. Chittiama ( Advisor) & Mrs. Parvati, (Secretary)

Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)

The Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC) plays a pivotal role in sea turtle conservation among at the important site of Rushikulya. Some of the truly motivated village boys of Purunabandha village adjoining the Rushikulya sea turtle rookery have formed a small group and named RSTPC with the assistance of turtle biologist Dr. Bivash Pandav in 1998.

The Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee is a non-government non-profit organisation working at Purunabandha village, Ganjam which is adjacent to the Rushikulya sea turtle rookery functioning since 1998 and registered under the Society Registration Act, 1860. RSTPC has a total membership of 50, which includes members mostly from the village Purunabandha, and majorities are from fishing communities.

Current activities of RSTPC are undertaken in collaboration with other organisations and agencies which include the Forest Department, Orissa, Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore, Wildlife Institute of India, Greenpeace, World Turtle Trust, Wildlife Society of Orissa, People for Animals and the Wildlife Trust of India. Members of RSTPC who have been trained by wildlife experts serve as research assistants, working in collaboration with scientists such as Dr. Bivash Pandav, Dr. Basudev Tripathi, Dr. Kartik Shanker, Dr. C.S. Kar and researchers such as Suresh Kumar and Divya Karnad.

The members of RSTPC have begun to monitor the nesting population and also assist in the release of hatchlings during mass hatching along the Rushikulya coast. We have also encouraged tourists, locals and especially children to participate in the collection and release of disoriented hatchlings as a part of our awareness programmes. Members also assist in collecting data and collaborate with researchers to provide logistic support and field staff. Towards this end, they are trained in the latest data collection and monitoring/survey methods.

Activities

Olive ridley sea turtle monitoring:
The current projects of RSTPC include data collection from the tagging of turtles, recapture studies, distribution of the mating congregation, satellite transmitter ranging studies and monitoring hatchling mortality rates.

Rescue and reorientation of hatchlings on beaches affected by artificial lighting:
At Rushikulya beach, hatchlings often get disoriented due to artificial lighting. RSTPC members have therefore involved themselves in collecting the hatchlings in buckets and then releasing them in the ocean. Recently, a net has been placed along the beach to enable easy collection of hatchlings.

Public awareness:
By putting up stalls and creating sculptures of turtles, RSTPC has made its presence felt at Gopalpur Beach festival in recent years. The V.J. Sheth Memorial Sea Turtle Interpretation Centre has been set up by RSTPC (courtesy the Eastern Shipping Corporation, Mumbai), which aims to increase public awareness about sea turtles and conservation programmes. For the locals, the turtle is sacrosanct as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Education and awareness materials are also provided by RSTPC to local school children and organisations in the form of CDs, journals, documentaries and pictures.

Contact Person: Rabindranath Sahu, Secretary, RSTPC.

Postal address:Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee, Purunamandha, Palibandha Post, Ganjam district, Orissa – 761026

Phone: +91 9437204384; +91 9861203479

Email: turtle_rushikulya@yahoo.co.in

Sea Turtle Action Programme (this text below needs a separate page since they don’t have a webpage)

The Sea Turtle Action Programme was started in the mid 90s as a non-government non-profit organisation and comprises of local youth from the village of Gundalaba, Astarang, Puri district. STAP has provided critical service to the Forest Department as well as sea turtle researchers in field research. They have been engaged hatchery creation at Devi. They have also been engaged in monitoring sea turtle mortality, nesting, fisheries practices and other fisheries related data collection. In the year 2005 STAP was registered as an NGO.

Mailing Address : STAP, Peerjahania, Gundalba, Astaranga, Puri – 650 129(Orissa)
Telephone Number :0674-2333254
Total members : ~ 8
Contact person : Bichitrananda Biswal

United Artists’ Association:www.uaaorissa.org
United Artists’ Association (UAA) believes in community empowerment and provides support and strengthens to people’s organizations, NGOs and CBOs in its area of operation. UAA was established by a group of like minded youth to help the people affected by natural calamities, protect environment and to further efforts in starting educational institutions. Since then it has been working with downtrodden sections of society with focus on women and children. This work extends to the marginalized communities of fishworkers.

Contact Person: Mangaraj Panda
Email: uaaorissa@gmail.com

World Wide Fund for Nature

http://www.wwfindia.org/who_we_are/where_we_work/wwf_offices/orissa/
Contact Person: Michael Peters

Wild Orissa http://www.wildorissa.org/

Contact person: Mrs. Monalisa Bhujbal, Secretary
E-mail: wildorissa@hotmail.com
Mailing Address: Wild OrissaBJ-29, Mezzanine Floor, BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Telephone Number: 0674 – 512044, 432707

Individual Members

 

Dr. Jack Frazier, Mr. B.C.Choudhury, Wildlife Institute of India

Dr. Bivash Pandav, WWF – India