Fight to save turtles hits beach

Green Turtle/Malaysia

World Turtle Day

THERE have been calls for greater protection methods to be adopted for the sake of the Sunshine Coast’s sea turtle populations.

The call was made on the eve of World Turtle Day today.

The Coast marked the annual global event with a gathering at Kings Beach, Caloundra, yesterday.

Dennis Massoud and daughter, Marley, 7, support World Turtle Day at Kings Beach.

In the coming weeks, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke will decide the level of protection given to sea turtle populations in northern Australian waters through marine sanctuaries.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society said that currently less than 1% of those waters were protected.

Society spokeswoman Daisy Barham said the Coast was an important turtle habitat.

“The Australian Marine Conservation Society believes we need to protect turtles with a large network of marine sanctuaries, because we know that hundreds of turtles are killed every year in fishing nets and old ghost nets (fishing nets discarded in the ocean),” she said.

Two species, the green turtle and leatherback turtle, are endangered.

Leatherback Turtle

Coolum District Coast Care, which is active in turtle protection, said the reptile nested on Coast beaches in great numbers and fed in our waters.

The body’s president Leigh Warneminde said it was difficult to establish turtle sanctuaries because they were nomadic.

“…When you’ve got a near-prehistoric animal under threat, then there must be something that’s not right,” she said.

Sunshine Coast Daily

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