Locals lead year of sea turtle campaign

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) – Environment and Conservation Deputy Secretary Dr Gae Gowae launched the year of the sea turtle campaign in Lae, Morobe Province this week during a colorful traditional singsing demonstrating the cultural link between turtles and the local people.

“The campaign aims to promote community conservation and nesting sites, strengthen National legislative and policies to encourage sustainable management in Papua New Guinea and to facilitate community participation for turtle conservation and management.” said Dr Gowae.

“The campaign themed: ‘Protect them, Protect our heritage’ is very significant to us as marine turtles have formed an integral part of the marine ecosystems and traditional culture for most of the 13 Maritime Provinces in Papua New Guinea for many years,” he said.

The province hosts three of the four major turtle nesting beaches in PNG. These are Busama, Labu Tali and Kamiali . The communities in these nesting beaches are invovled in a turtle conservation and management project aimed at reducing poaching, predation and environmental impacts to increase and enhance turtle population recovery in the country.

WWF provided financial and technical support in 2004 to Huon Coast Network and the Kamiali Integrated Conservation and Development Group to conduct Community Training workshops, establish a monitoring, research and data collection program and to carry out awareness campaign to protect sea turtles in the country. WWF also supported the launch of the Year of the Sea Turtle with funding support from WWF Australia and the European Union. They are now also working in collaboration with Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council (WPRRFMC) Leatherback Turtle project based in Lae.

The campaign also promotes the social aspect of the conservation project been carried out by the local villages.

It is part of a global campaign after 2006 was declared as the Year of the Sea Turtle by the United Nations Marine Program office in Kenya. Celebration began in March worldwide and continues throughout the year in the Pacific.

Although protected under a number of national treaties, the population trend of sea turtles are declining rapidly.

“Natural and introduced predation, domestic and commercial exploitation of eggs and turtles and death due to ingestion of plastic bags caused by improper waste disposal in PNG waters have been identify as some of the biggest cause,” - Miriam Philip, WWF PNG Marine Program Manager

PNG is fortunate to be a perfect host of six of the seven species of marine turtle that exist globally.

The six species are Leather back Turtle (Demochelys coriacea), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochlys imbricata), Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Flatback turtle (Natator depressus)

Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Indonesia have one of the last remaining population Leatherback Turtle in the world and therefore concerted effort should be set in place to protect the population from becoming extinct. This year’s celebrations also recognizes the Tri – Nations MOU signed in Bali on August 28, which signifies the formal partnership between the governments of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Indonesia and supported by WWF for the Conservation and Management of the Western Pacific Leatherback Turtle.

“The lack of education and awareness on the biology and global status of the leatherback turtle remains a bigger challenge as many local communities do not recognize the need to appreciate and take pride in these unique species and the habitat that supports its survival,” said Ms Philip.

The launch also coincides with the main turtle-nesting season that begins from November to January.

For further information:

Lydia Kaia, Communications Officer,
WWF Papua New Guinea,
Tel: +675 320 0149
Fax: +675 320 0519
E-mail: lkaia@wwfpacific.org.pg