More than 100 green sea turtle hatchlings made their way from the beach to the sea at Kenting National Park on Saturday, the fourth time this year that sea turtles have nested in Kenting.
Kenting National Park Headquarters worked with ecological volunteers to monitor the site, safeguarding the hatchlings as they crawled to the sea.
The park’s Conservation Department said that the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) is a popular site for sea turtle nesting, with increasing numbers of turtles laying eggs there in the past few years.
Photo courtesy of a reader
It is not easy for sea turtles to come ashore and lay eggs, so timing is precious, the department said.
Residents and businesses have participated in conservation courses, cooperated with conservation efforts and shown respect for the marine environment, allowing this part of the ocean to continue nurturing life, it said.
Green sea turtles have an innate sense of direction, returning to the beach they were born to lay eggs even though they have moved or traveled hundreds or even thousands of kilometers to forage for food, the park said.
With sea turtles nesting in Kenting more frequently in the past few years, the park said it is hopeful that the area’s sea turtle population would one day rival that of Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球).
Residents said they are hoping for the birth of more turtles, as another nest has shown clear signs of crawl marks, although hatchlings have yet to be spotted.
The park works with the Ocean Conservation Administration to inspect nesting sites, ensuring that eggs are not disturbed by humans, light pollution or climate change.
People should follow the “five noes” when they encounter sea turtles: Do not touch, harass, feed, chase or harm them, it said.
People who discover a stranded or struggling sea turtle can call the Coast Guard Administration’s number, 118, it said.
Local conservationists said tourists should avoid beaches where turtles nest at night and limit light usage to ensure that hatchlings do not get lost due to light pollution.
After playing on the beach, visitors should even out the sand and remove all trash to clear the path for hatchlings to crawl to the sea, they said.
Aside from working with volunteers, residents and businesses to protect the area, the park said it would continue to promote environmental education and conservation efforts.
The latest sea turtle hatching is a testament to the recovery of Kenting’s marine ecology, it added.
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
RSS