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29 March 2024

Injured turtles released into wild

Published
By Staff

A group of endangered turtles was released into the ocean on Monday after being rehabilitated by marine biologists at Sharjah Aquarium.

The five adult and juvenile hawksbill turtles were reintroduced into the wild at the Natural Reserve at Al Hamriya Beach in Sharjah.

The event was held to coincide with World Turtle Day and is part of Sharjah Museum Department’s “Because We Care” social responsibility initiative.

Manal Ataya, Director-General of SMD, said, “Sharjah has a rich maritime heritage and marking World Turtle Day highlights the vital role that Sharjah Aquarium plays in educating the public about the need to act as custodians of our ocean.

“Sharjah Museums Department is reaching out to the community to spread awareness of the need to ensure a sustainable future for our precious marine resources. Through the aquarium’s diverse portfolio of events, as well as the work our biologists to rehabilitate sea creatures, we are taking steps to preserve our ocean for future generations.”

The hawksbill is one of the smaller sea turtles, and is named for its narrow head and hawk-like beak. Despite international conventions prohibiting the hunting and trading of sea turtles, hawksbills have suffered an 80 per cent global loss of population in just three generations. Their existence is threatened by coastal development, climate change, egg harvesting at nesting beaches, pollution, and through being caught accidentally in fisheries. Many sustain injuries to their fins caused by fishing boat propellers.

The turtles released were originally spotted by members of the public, who noticed they were suffering from critical injuries and took them to Sharjah Aquarium. The Aquarium has been running a rehabilitation programme for the past six years to rescue and care for sick and injured hawksbill and green turtles, and release them back into the wild.

Among those who participated in the release were Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb, the Assistant Under-Secretary at the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water’s ‘Water Resources and Nature Conservation Affairs Department. She was joined by officials from several Government departments, as well as fisherman and students. The turtles were brought to the release area in special tanks and then released into the sea by experts and those participating.

The participation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the event during the World Turtle Day to support international and national efforts in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation programs, especially sea turtles that are threatened with extinction on a global level. The government of the UAE works to protect wildlife and its sustainability in order to achieve the National Biodiversity Strategy through continuous coordination with all stakeholders, where we thank the Sharjah Museums Department and Sharjah Aquarium for their efforts.

World Turtle Day is held on May 23 each year and is celebrated throughout the world. It was started in 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue and tortoises, to encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.

Today’s release is one of numerous initiatives held under SMD’s “Because we Care” initiative. These include beach clean ups and efforts to provide museum learning experiences to children with disabilities, among many others.