Tunisian Experts Make Serious Efforts to Protect Sea Turtles

As part of ongoing efforts to preserve the marine ecological balance, experts and volunteers from environmental organizations are digging paths in the sands of Al-Ghadabna Beach, Mahdia Province, to help newly-born sea turtles head to the sea, reported the Arab News Agency (ANA).

Experts and volunteers from the Notre Grand Bleu (Our Big Blue) Organization help sea turtles hatch, and surround their nests with barriers to help the small ones return to the sea safely.

The Kuriat islands, located 18 km off the Monastir coasts, eastern Tunisia, was a major nesting site for the large-headed sea turtles known as “Caretta Caretta”, before discovering new ones including Al-Ghadabna Beach, in the Mahdia Province.

Olfat al-Shayeb, researcher at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology (INSTM), says: “We monitor large nesting sites of sea turtles on daily basis in the Kuriat island and Al-Ghadabna Beach, and we are working on protecting them.”

“Two months after nesting, the eggs hatch, and we help them access the sea in a natural way. It’s important to let the small turtles lead their own way to the sea,” she told ANA.

“On their way back to the sea, a turtle marks the site with a print, so it can return 20-30 years later to leave its eggs where it was born,” she explained.

Dangers and balance

The environmental expert emphasized the importance of sea turtles in maintaining the balance of the marine ecosystem. “Their presence is evidence of the safety of the sea and beaches because sea turtles choose a suitable nesting site with the right temperature and humidity. It also plays a major role in maintaining the balance of the marine food chain.”

Experts say sea turtles are threatened by urban expansion, beach pollution, by-catch and climate change.

“Sea turtles face many dangers, such as artificial lighting driven by urban expansion. Such lights distract turtles when hatching, because they follow the light source instead of the sea,” al-Shayeb said.

She also cited pollution, plastic wastes, and by-catch: “Where turtles get stuck in plastic wastes and fishing nets, they die.”

However, she confirmed that the discovery of new nesting sites, most notably the Al- Ghadabna beach, shows that the project to protect sea turtles, which was launched in the 1990s, is fruitful.

“It is a remarkable find that confirms an expansion of nesting sites as a result of years of sea turtle protection in Tunisia,” the researcher said happily about the discovery of the new site.

“The discovery of a new nest proves that the efforts have paid off”, said Riyad Ghadira, activist from the Notre Grand Bleu Organization, noting that “it is a delightful news and gives us more hope”.

Importance of awareness

Environmental experts and organizations have also worked on spreading awareness about the importance of sea turtles and the need to protect them for their role in preserving marine ecological balances.

“When returning turtles to the sea, for example, we make sure that families, children, and officials are present to raise awareness of ways to protect sea turtles,” Olfat al-Shayeb said.

“We must work to raise awareness locally and regionally in Tunisia about the need to protect sea turtles and their nesting sites to protect them and prevent imbalances in the marine ecosystem,” she added.

She also suggested establishing turtle reserves that would promote eco-tourism, attract environment lovers, and contribute to raising awareness of the importance of marine creatures, including turtles, in maintaining the ecological b