A lantern festival was scheduled to take place at Goa’s Morjim Beach this weekend. This sparked outrage among authorities, environmentalists, and wildlife conservationists who pointed out that the beach was near a turtle nesting site. They reasoned how this festival could affect the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, impact marine life, and even lead to forest fires. Seeing the public outrage, the organisers cancelled the event.
Organisers Cancel Lantern Festival Near Turtle Nesting Site In Goa
A lantern festival – Glowfest Lantern Festival – was scheduled to take place at Morjim Beach on May 25. During the festival, the organisers were to release hundreds of candle-lit paper lanterns into the sky. This led to a public outcry among authorities, environmentalists, and wildlife conservationists. They highlighted that Morjim Beach, the venue of the festival, was near a nesting site of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
The organisers of Glowfest mentioned how they “carried out an environmental study before planning” the event. In their flyer, they mentioned, “Our show will not, in any way, disturb the cutest turtles.” They pointed out that Goa’s turtle season is from November to April and by then, the lantern will disintegrate in sand. However, seeing the public outrage, they cancelled the event on Thursday night.
Talking about the lantern festival to The Indian Express, Goa Director of Tourism Suneel Anchipaka said his department had not received any applications seeking permission for the event. They further mentioned that they would “not allow any event which threatens the ecology or the environment”.
How This Festival Could Have Affected The Turtles?
Ever since this lantern festival in Goa was announced on social media, environmentalists and conservationists have appealed to authorities to cancel the festival. They made their case and pointed out how the festival can pose a “severe threat to the beach’s natural ecosystem, wildlife and marine life.” They even mentioned that the lights, noise, and large crowds on the beach during the festival could threaten the safety of turtles, keeping the prolonged turtle-nesting season this year in mind.
Benhail Antao, wildlife rescuer and conservationist told The Indian Express, “Releasing paper lanterns with a live fire into the sky is also a fire hazard as shacks, houses, and coconut trees can catch fire. It could also cause a forest fire in the dry months.”
While we understand the allure of this lantern festival, we also cannot deny that it could have been harmful to the environment and marine life of Goa. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (representative image)
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