EMIRATES BUSINESS 24/7 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 23 May 10 Turtle owners await official guidance - Pet owners can now return marine turtles to the wild. (Reena Amos Dyes)
Today is World Turtle Day and the Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF is launching a three-year project to track marine turtles, which are a threatened species, across the Gulf.
However, residents of Dubai said they would like the agency to put a stop to sale of turtles in pet shops and help pet owners who want to return their turtles to the wild or turn them over to the EWS-WWF without fear of legal action.
A Aaron, (name changed) a resident of Dubai, told Emirates Business: "I am an animal lover and everybody in my building knows I look after injured animals. Three years ago, someone came and gave me a pair of turtles saying, 'the person who bought these turtles has decided to throw them [out] as they are not eating and the owner does not know what to do with them. I know you love animals so I have brought them to you. Can you take them in or they will die'.
"I took them in and they have been with me ever since. I want to set them free. However, I don't even know what kind of turtles they are, what their habitat is and whether they will be able to survive in the wild.
"I want help of agencies like the EWS-WWF but I don't know where to begin. Also, I feel scared that if I approach the authorities, I might be penalised for owning wildlife, which I did not buy in the first place. Also, I wish the authorities would crack down more firmly on these pet shops that sell turtles and other endangered animals to the public without caring about the fact that the new owner will not be able to care or them."
R Joseph, a resident of Sharjah, (name changed) who was gifted some rock turtles a few years ago by a friend and who also wants to return them to the wild, said: "I hate the fact that they have such a small area to live in and are so far away from their natural habitat. I am sure there will be other people like me who were either gifted the turtles or bought them for their kids and now want to return them to their natural habitat.
"If the EWS-WWF was to launch a campaign and allow residents to give their turtles to the agency without any legal action being taken against them, a lot of people will come out to set the turtles free. Also, it will teach future generations not to buy wildlife."
Today, the Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF will launch a three-year satellite tracking project for marine turtles to better understand their biological and conservation needs. Focusing on the endangered Hawksbill turtle, (listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List), the project will follow up to 100 post-nesting female turtles from the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Marine turtles are one of the longest living groups of animals to have ever existed, but human activities have placed them under increasing pressure. Across the Middle East and around the world, these ancient creatures are threatened today, mostly through habitat loss and unintentional capture in fisheries, leaving them in dire need of conservation action.
Data collected from the satellite-tracking programme will be used to help local and regional agencies identify the critical overseas migration routes and near-shore habitats favoured by the turtles. This will consequently help management and conservation authorities with their decisions and activities.
Lisa Perry, Programme Director, EWS-WWF, said: "The goal of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project is to implement a comprehensive research and satellite tracking programme that will enable us to protect marine turtles of the Gulf and wider region. To do this, we will combine scientific research and monitoring, with environmental awareness centred on marine turtle protection, resulting in the long-term conservation of these animals and their habitat.
"For these highly migratory animals, today's advanced technology makes it possible to determine the turtle's surprisingly long journeys. By tracking the marine turtles through the Gulf, we aim to raise collective awareness of their plight and to develop effective links at a regional and international level on which these nations may develop concurrent conservation agendas."
Turtle owners await official guidance - Pet owners can now return marine turtles to the wild.