16 November 2007, 13:00
Turtle Nesting Season and Turtle Tagging Activities
It’s breeding season for turtles once again and MES is on the look out for nesting turtles. Until recently, some islands in the Mamanucas have been confirmed as turtle nesting sites. With the help from member resorts and the local village communities, the MES was able to visit islands to research on the history of turtle breeding and nesting activities. It was found that some islands which were once frequented by a significant number of turtles in the past are no longer visited by turtles. This could be due to their nesting grounds being threatened by development and increase in human activities. However, Monuriki Island (located on the top end of the Mamanuca group) which is uninhabited and protected by a traditional Fijian tabu by the land owners from Yanuya Island, still receives numerous turtles during nesting seasons.
The MES plans to work with the Institute of Marine Resources of the USP (University of the South Pacific) to survey the total number of nests and nesting turtles at Monuriki during this season.
