Turtle rehab centres promote public awareness
Thu 05 November 2009
Liam West, Bachelor of Journalism
Turtles will begin nesting on Sunshine Coast beaches in November, and basic community involvement can help preserve this endangered species.
UnderWater World Head Aquarist Emily Thomas said the turtle’s nesting season will last from November late February, with eggs being laid from Noosa to Caloundra.
“They’re up and down the Sunshine Coast everywhere, and that’s the thing I find people don’t realise and are quite amazed about. We have quite a big nesting aggregation,” Miss Thomas said.
Miss Thomas said species of turtle found on the Sunshine Coast include green, loggerhead, hawksbill, flatback and olive Ridley turtles. She said turtles are often found injured or dying on the beach.
Miss Thomas has encountered many turtles injured by fishing line and Turtle Care Sunshine Coast lists plastic, oil spills, fishing lines and discarded fishing nets as some of the greatest threats to turtles.
“Fishing line wraps around a rock or something under the ocean and the hook then grows sea squirts or sponges or even sea grass,” she said. “The turtle then sees that and they’d eat it thinking it’s a natural food source … I’ve had turtles that have hooks in their throat.”
Miss Thomas also believes boat strikes are a common occurrence.
“I think a lot get hit out here but because we’re not in a bay situation that they’re just never found … I think there would be a lot more out here than people would think,” she said.
Fortunately, since around 2004, there have been an increasing number of injured turtles being reported to rehabilitation centres by citizens.
“There seems to be a lot more people getting out on the beach … they’re enjoying early walks or late afternoon walks so they’re finding them,” Miss Thomas said.
“I’d put it down to awareness. There are places like us that are doing this rehab all over the coast now … that wasn’t happening 10 years ago.”
Marine rehabilitation centres in the Sunshine Coast area include UnderWater World and Australia Zoo. At both centres turtles are nursed back to health, and then released around the same area they were found.
At UnderWater World, when an injured turtle is brought in, they are immediately assessed, checked for tags, and given a fresh water bath to remove any parasites.
“If they’re not going to make it, if they’re going to die, they will die in the first 72 hours,” Miss Thomas said. “If they do make that initial 72 hours, we’ll put them on antibiotics straight away … then it’s up to the turtle.”
University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science researcher Dr Mark Flint researches diseases turtles can develop. This research helps the rehabilitation centres diagnose diseases more easily. Dr Flint attributes the increase in rehabilitated turtles to public awareness.
“Ten years ago people didn’t notice turtles, and now … more people notice them, therefore more people call them in and then places like UnderWater World, Sea World and Australia Zoo all have these brilliant set ups where they can actually receive and treat these guys,” he said.
Dr Flint said increased public awareness about the dangers turtles face has helped reduce human inflicted injuries. He said “‘Go-slow zones’” for boats have been implemented, and nets used by commercial fisheries have been adapted.
“There are things called turtle exclusion devices put into nets now so that when a turtle does go into a fishery net it can literally swim back out,” he said.
Dr Flint said turtle rehabilitation and conservation will need to continue far into the future.
“The problem with turtles is they’re not like other animals where they’ve got, say, a life cycle of five or 10 years. It’s a life cycle of up to a 100 years, so all these measures, we have to take over extended periods of time,” Dr Flint said.
Turtle Care Sunshine Coast believes in educating the public about issues turtles face. Basic community involvement, such as disposing of plastic and fishing line correctly, and reporting sightings of turtles and even predatory foxes on the beach, can help turtles nest easier this summer.
Coolum District Coast Care is a volunteer group founded in 1998. It is dedicated to the care and preservation of the natural environment in the Coolum and Yaroomba coastal region. Today the organisation has grown to around 90 members.
Coolum Coast Care president Leigh Warneminde urges people to contact the Marine Stranding Hotline (1300 130 372) if they encounter an injured or dead turtle.
Even an apparently healthy turtle should be reported to Turtle Care Sunshine Coast, so members who have been properly trained can arrive and assess the animal.
“I think it’s quite important we document how many turtles are dying,” Ms Warneminde said.
Image(s) designed by Liam West