World Turtle Day sees satellite turtle-tracking system go live

Three-year project to track marine turtles in the Gulf

May 2010: Marine turtles are one of the longest living groups of animals to have ever existed, but human activities have placed them under increasing pressure. Across the Middle East and around the world these ancient creatures are today threatened, mostly through habitat loss and unintentional capture in fisheries, leaving them in dire need of conservation action.

On World Turtle Day, Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF launched a three-year satellite tracking project to better understand their biological and conservation needs. Focusing on the endangered Hawksbill turtle, (listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List), the project will follow up to 100 post-nesting female turtles from the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Data collected from the satellite tracking programme will be used to help local and regional agencies identify the critical overseas migration routes and near-shore habitats favoured by the turtles., providing valuable information for management and conservation authorities.

Commenting on the launch, Lisa Perry, the programme's director at EWS-WWF, said: ‘The goal of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project is to implement a comprehensive research and satellite tracking programme that will enable us to protect marine turtles of the Gulf and wider region. To do this we will combine scientific research and monitoring, with environmental awareness centred on marine turtle protection, resulting in the long-term conservation of these animals and their habitat.

‘For these highly migratory animals, today's advanced technology makes it possible to determine the turtle's surprisingly long journeys. By tracking the marine turtles through the Gulf region, we aim to raise collective awareness of their plight and to develop effective links at a regional and international level on which these nations may develop concurrent conservation agendas.'


Adopting a multi-faceted approach, the project will not only be concentrating on concrete scientific research through the tracking and monitoring of each individual turtle tagged, but it will also involve environmental awareness at the local level. A dedicated website, www.gulfturtles.com, has been set up to enable the public to track the turtles during the course of the campaign. It displays the migration patterns of the turtles, tracked via the satellite, and is a set to be an education platform. Visitors to the site can also learn more about marine turtles and how they can support this project.

‘These turtles depend on coastal habitats, including coral reefs for feeding and beaches for nesting at some stage of their life and this project will help us to locate these key areas in the Gulf. This will in turn help governments and conservation authorities when faced with making decisions that address coastal habitats and the marine environment,' adds Perry.

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