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29 March 2024

Campaign to save endangered Gulf turtles

200 mobile phone users to get chance to adopt a turtle as part of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project.

Published

Nokia and Emirates Wildlife Society, in association with the World Wildlife Fund, are going ahead with a month-long campaign to raise awareness of the region’s Marine Turtle Conservation Project.

As part of the initiative, mobile phone users who recycle their old mobiles at any Nokia Care Centre in UAE, Oman and Qatar stand to win one of 200 Turtle Adoption Packs, which includes an adoption certificate for the endangered Hawksbill turtles which are native to Gulf waters.

The Marine Turtle Conservation Project gathers data about the endangered Hawksbill species and its migration patterns across the Gulf. EWS-WWF, with the support of its partners in UAE, Qatar and Oman, employs satellite tracking technology with the aim of tagging up to 75 turtles. The information gathered from satellite tracking will shape regional conservation plans. Hawksbill turtles are listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Harvesting of eggs at beaches, loss and degradation of habitats as well as accidental capture all contribute to the decline in the Hawksbill turtle population.

Nokia’s regional ‘Take Back’ recycling initiative was launched in 2009 and has been continuously extended via school projects conducted with Emirates Environmental Group or activation campaigns at Nokia care centres.

“We believe that raising awareness is a vital first step towards galvanising environmental action among people,” says Ulrike Vott, sustainability manager of Nokia Middle East. “With this initiative, we are securing two positive outcomes for the environment when you recycle an unwanted or even broken mobile phone with us: First - if recycled in a responsible manner - the materials in your old device can be used to make new things and nothing has to be wasted or sent to a landfill. And secondly, by recycling with us during this initiative, we make you a supporter of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project.”

By giving 200 Turtle Adoption Packs to mobile phone users taking part in the initiative, Nokia aims to encourage consumers to be environmentally conscious and to protect the natural heritage of the region.

EWS-WWF programme director Lisa Perry said, “Through this joint collaboration we are helping the conservation of marine species like the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle, through the EWS-WWF Marine Turtle Conservation Project. Turtles play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their survival is imperative to the survival of these eco-systems. The Nokia initiative is also raising awareness of the importance of recycling and wise use of resources that are key for the sustainability of our planet”.

EWS-WWF has partnered with the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, Sharjah EPAA and Emirates Marine Environmental Group in the UAE; the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs and Environment Society of Oman in Oman; and the Ministry of Environment, Qatar University and Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar to execute this nature conservation project.

All Nokia Care Centres in UAE, Oman and Qatar have permanent ‘Take-Back’ and recycling points installed to participate in this campaign. To find the nearest recycling point locations go to https://www.nokia.com/recycle. Also, Nokia stores in Mall of Emirates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Mall in Abu Dhabi and Bawadi Mall in Al Ain can be visited to recycle and support the campaign. For further information call Nokia Careline in UAE (Toll free: 80004449813), Qatar (+974 4436 0220) and Oman (Toll free: 800 797 96).

For further information on EWS-WWF’s Marine Turtle Conservation Project visit www.gulfturtles.com.