Several environmental groups are to hold six screenings of a documentary about sea turtle conservation across five cities and counties to teach the public about the marine reptiles, with the first viewing set to coincide with World Turtle Day tomorrow.
World Turtle Day was established by the nonprofit organization American Tortoise Rescue in 2000 to raise global awareness about turtle conservation, said Oceanus Honors Gaia, a group dedicated to protecting the marine environment.
Oceanus Honors Gaia said it is staging the screenings along with the Kenting National Park Headquarters, Pingtung County’s Liouciou Township (琉球) Office and several other groups to raise awareness about sea turtle conservation in Taiwan.
Oceanus Honors Gaia chief executive and chief lobbyist Oceana Lin (林愛龍) said the documentary, titled Turtle: The Incredible Journey, portrays the harsh environment that sea turtles must navigate today as they swim through damaged habitats, marine debris, oil spills, accidental capture and others threats.
Admission to all of the screenings will be free, she added.
Matsu Fish Conservation Union secretary-general Gan Chen-yi (甘宸宜) said that sea turtles face survival challenges similar to those affecting the critically endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, with fishing methods such as gill net and bottom trawling a frequent cause of fatal injuries for both species.
Sea turtles sometimes die after eating marine debris mistaken for jellyfish or other prey and often get entangled in discarded fishing line that can kill or seriously injure them, Society of Wilderness member Hu Chieh-shen (胡介申) said.
Lin said that about 50 years ago, sea turtles could be seen laying eggs on the beaches of the nation’s eastern and southern coasts, as well as on outlying islands, but that now they are found only on a few beaches off Taiwan proper.
This shows that a lot of work needs to be done to restore the nation’s ecosystems to their original fecundity, she added.
In another effort to promote turtle conservation, Lin said that Oceanus Honors Gaia has devised a set of principles to teach tourists about turtle-watching, given the rising popularity of diving and snorkeling in Taiwan.
These include keeping quiet when the animals are close by, staying at least 3m away from them at all times and not using a flash when photographing turtles.
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