Turtle Conservation Project – Lissenung Island Resort
In 2020 we are pledging to increase our conservation efforts. We are pleased to offer continued support to several charities, as well as supporting more grass roots organisations such as the fantastic Turtle Conservation Project set up by Lissenung Island Resort in Papua New Guinea.
Turtle numbers are in decline in Papua New Guinea. New Ireland has been populated by humans for almost 40,000 years, and sea turtles and their eggs have always been a traditional food source. Due to population growth as well as the well-known threats of fishing nets and plastic pollution, the local turtle population is now under serious threat and declining rapidly.
The project’s director, Angelique Amon, describes the initiative:
“We started our Turtle Conservation Programme in 2013 in order to protect the remaining turtles as well as to educate the local population about turtle and environmental protection. We have identified two nearby, uninhabited islands as common turtle nesting grounds: Edmago Island, which lies about 3nm from Lissenung Island and Ral Island, located 4nm from Lissenung Island.
Over 90% of our nests are from Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), while the remaining nests are from Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas). Hawksbill Turtles are classified as ‘Critically Endangered’, Green Turtles are listed as ‘Endangered’ by IUCN as well as CITES.
During the nesting season, from early September through to mid-February, we travel to those two islands early every morning. Once there, we follow any new turtle tracks, find the nest and carefully relocate the eggs to nesting boxes back on Lissenung Island. The hatchlings emerge from the nest approximately 60 days later, and we collect important data and measurements, before releasing them. So far, we have released 14,660 live hatchlings, and we already have 8 nests in this year’s season.”
It is estimated only about one in 1,000 sea turtles will survive until adulthood, so the efforts made and data collected at Lissenung is vital in helping the survival of the species. They also educate locals about the importance of turtle conservation, in the hope of creating a more sustainable future for the turtles in Papua New Guinea.
To help support Lissenung Island Resort and the brilliant work they are doing we are pleased to pledge an initial donation of £2,000. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on how this donation will be used.
