031228en04002

	news.gov.hk
	From Hong Kong's Information Services Department

December 28, 2003

Conservation

Endangered green turtles nest on Lamma Island

Three green turtles have nested at Sham Wan, Lamma Island, during this year's June-to-October breeding season, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department says.

Wetland & Fauna Conservation Officer Cheung Ka-shing said the turtles laid nine clutches of eggs, and some 900 eggs were found. All were left to hatch naturally.

It took about two months for the baby turtles to hatch, with a hatching rate of 40% to 60%. The department's nature wardens filmed a batch of baby turtles emerging from the sand and crawling towards the sea.

Green turtles are endangered. During the breeding season this year, one of the mother turtles spent more than two months in Hong Kong and nested seven times.

New generation: One turtle has a satellite transmitter attached to track her movements. She lays her eggs at Sham Wan, and the batch of baby turtles emerge two months later.

Satellite tracks turtle movements

The department's staff attached a satellite transmitter to the turtle to track her movements after she landed at Sham Wan in late June.

This is the second time the department has used satellite tracking to monitor the migratory route of green turtles.

She left Sham Wan in early September and headed southwest along the coast of the South China Sea.

After travelling about 900 kilometres, she reached the coastal waters off a small island between Hainan and Vietnam in late September.

"The satellite tracking studies indicate that some of the green turtles nesting at Sham Wan came from the coastal waters off Hainan Island," Mr Cheung said.

"We will continue the tracking programme to study the life history of the green turtles which nest in Hong Kong in order to help in the conservation of this endangered species."

International co-operation needed

Sea turtles are a migratory species. Every few years, the adults travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from their feeding grounds to their natal beaches to lay eggs. Therefore, international co-operation is crucial to conserving sea turtles.

The department will maintain contact with the Gangkou National Nature Reserve for Sea Turtles in Guangdong Province, and also communicate with other sea turtle researchers to achieve a better understanding of green turtle conservation work in other places.

People are urged to help protect green turtles. Vessels should avoid entering the sea inlet of Sham Wan during their June-to-October breeding season.

To report any sightings or strandings of sea turtles, call 1823.