<
https://theconversation.com/how-we-discovered-that-sea-turtles-in-seychelles-have-recovered-from-the-brink-179041>
"It’s not always easy to assess whether animal conservation measures have
worked. But we’ve discovered that green turtles of Seychelles – once almost
hunted to extinction – are now thriving again. And it’s all because of crucial
protection that was given to the species around 50 years ago.
Today, sea turtles are a well-loved icon for conservation, their image used
worldwide to remind us why we need to clean up and protect our oceans. But back
in 1888, turtle meat was the order of the day – with turtle soup a hugely
popular delicacy throughout Europe.
One of the popular hunting grounds was the Seychelles archipelago in the
western Indian Ocean, and in particular, an isolated place called Aldabra
Atoll, one of the largest atolls in the world.
Around 12,000 turtles a year were hunted, resulting in Aldabra’s green turtle
(
Chelonia mydas) population collapsing to critically low levels – surveys
carried out from 1967 to 1968 found no evidence of either recent or old nesting
activity on the settlement beach, which was the targeted location for
harvesting nesting turtles.
That was a turning point for Aldabra.
The Royal Society (an eminent scientific organisation in the UK) recommended
that the atoll should become a nature reserve with complete turtle protection –
and on August 13 1968 the Green Turtle Protection Regulations were implemented
throughout the territory (which was under British rule at the time but gained
independence in 1976). Since then many other protective area designations have
been put in place in recognition of Aldabra’s importance to the natural world,
including selection as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1982.
Thanks to all of these measures green turtles have remained largely undisturbed
at Aldabra since 1968, and the effect of the protection has been astounding. As
we report in our recent study in the journal
Endangered Species Research,
Aldabra now has the second-largest green turtle breeding population in the
western Indian Ocean region."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
