Key Points

The specialised patrol unit is set to become operational by the end of this month. The force will guard the 60-km stretch of coastline from Muttukadu in the south to Ennore in the north, focusing on curbing illegal trawling within five nautical miles of the shore.

This inshore zone is legally protected as a safe breeding ground for marine life.

For years, enforcement in these shallow waters has been weak, allowing trawlers to operate nets that often trap and kill sea turtles and juvenile fish.

The new unit will be equipped with three patrol vessels -- a high-speed interceptor craft and two 20-seater boats for on-the-spot detention and transport of violators.

"This force will provide round-the-clock monitoring during the critical turtle mating and nesting season," a senior forest department official said.

Every year, from November to January, Olive Ridley turtles migrate to the Bay of Bengal coast. Chennai hosts solitary nesters, while India's major mass nesting -- or arribada -- occurs in Odisha at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and the Devi river mouth. Globally, such mass nesting is otherwise seen only in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Despite smaller nesting numbers here, conservationists say Chennai's beaches are crucial for the species' survival in the southern Bay of Bengal.

Tamil Nadu has long been at the forefront of turtle protection, with decades of volunteer-led conservation programmes.

Various activist groups and the state forest department's night patrolling teams have saved thousands of eggs from predation and urban threats. Yet, the number of adult turtles dying in nearshore fishing nets has remained a persistent challenge.

Last season saw an alarming spike in turtle deaths; post-mortem studies linked many to drowning in trawl nets.

Conservationists believe the elite patrol could mark a turning point by enforcing existing laws and safeguarding marine biodiversity.

"This is not just about turtles -- it's about preserving an entire coastal ecosystem," said a marine biologist associated with turtle monitoring in Chennai.

- IANS