Kenicia Francis
World Turtle Day, an annual celebration to raise awareness of the protection and conservation of turtles and tortoises and their habitats, was observed this week.
It started as an initiative by the American Tortoise Rescue organization in 2000, and is celebrated on May 23rd each year to highlight the importance of turtles in various ecosystems and the threats they face.
Some of those threats include habitat destruction, pollution, and illegal trade.
Organisations and individuals around the world use this day to educate the public about the significance of turtles and promote efforts to ensure their survival for future generations.
Turtle conservation is crucial because they play a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems.
By protecting turtles, it not only preserves biodiversity, but also ensures the health of marine and terrestrial environments.
Additionally, turtles are often considered an indicator species, meaning their well-being reflects the overall health of their habitats.
Therefore, conservation efforts for turtles have far-reaching positive impacts on the environment.
According to a post on Facebook by the local Department of Environment, “Antigua and Barbuda’s national sea animal, the Hawksbill Turtle, is one of five or six endangered species of sea turtles. Their diet consists of sponges, anemones, squid, shrimp, and crustaceans. Hawksbills are typically found around coastal reefs, rocky areas, estuaries, and lagoons. They can lay an average of 160 eggs in each nest and incubate for about 60 days. Their biggest threat is harvesting for their prized shell, often referred to as “tortoise shell.” In some countries the shell is still used to make hair ornaments, jewelry, and other decorative items.”
In another post on Facebook written by Shenequa Williams & Carol-Faye Bynoe-George, “Antigua is proactively involved with sea turtle conservation and have several areas surrounding beaches that are nesting sites for Hawksbill, Green, and Leatherback turtles. A non-governmental organization (NGO) known as the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) protect these nesting areas, sea turtles and the hatchlings.
“The EAG partners with several communities, groups and relevant stakeholders with monitoring and tagging of these sea creatures and also conducts training and educational workshops pertaining to the sea turtles and other animals.”
It also stated that, “on the sister island of Barbuda, tortoises or land turtles are quite popular and are notably one of the island’s terrestrial animals. An interesting fact about the tortoise is that according to scientists, it is known to be the oldest living land creature on earth, and they deserve all the appreciation and respect necessary.”
Some ways to help protect turtles and tortoises include participating in beach clean-ups to remove trash and debris that can harm turtles and their habitats.
Also, by properly disposing of plastic waste to prevent turtles from ingesting or getting entangled in it, and respecting turtle nesting areas on beaches by keeping a safe distance and not disturbing the nests.
“We all can help with the preservation of these magnificent reptiles by reducing plastic use, stopping illegal dumping/littering, supporting conservation efforts, and spreading awareness. This World Turtle Day let’s protect these remarkable creatures for future generations,” the post said.
