Third round of turtle protection funding announced
Published Monday, 23 May, 2016 at 02:32 PM
Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection and Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef
The Honourable Steven Miles
Funds totalling $2.5 million are available to organisations to fight pigs and other predators that endanger Queensland’s turtle populations, in the third round of the Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program.
The funding is part of a $7 million joint Queensland and Australian Government investment over four years to reduce the threat to turtle nests from feral pigs, foxes and other predators and help turtle populations recover.
Speaking on World Turtle Day (today), Queensland Minister for National Parks Dr Steven Miles said round 3 projects would build on existing projects and target areas currently identified as needing attention: four areas of the west coast of Cape York and two Torres Strait islands.
“Applicants should check the guideline and requirements for the target turtle rookeries at www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/managing/pest-plants-animals/nest-ocean-turtle-protection-program.html and have their applications in by Wednesday, June 1,” Dr Miles said.
Two funding rounds so far have funded 13 projects along the Queensland coastline, totalling approximately $4.1 million.
“The program is already exceeding its goal to improve nest survival,” Dr Miles said. “Predation on eggs and hatchlings is a serious threat to the survival of our marine turtles.
“On some western Cape York beaches, it’s reported that up to 100 percent of nests had been falling prey to pigs.
“A key goal was to turn that loss around and increase the rate of productive nests. For some targeted turtle populations the hatchling success has been over 80% once pigs have been removed.
“It’s great to hear that since the Nest to Ocean projects started, 89 percent of turtle nests in control areas are producing hatchlings,” he said.
In round 2, four organisations shared in $2.1 million, with impressive results for turtle conservation already evident.
Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council and Cape York Natural Resource Management controlled feral pigs in priority turtle nesting sites on western Cape York.
Cape York Natural Resource Management are trialling a drone to monitor turtle nesting and feral animals, a cost-effective and innovative solution to help protect turtle populations on Cape York.
Dr Miles said the fox was one of the most significant threats to loggerhead, green, and flatback turtles in Central Queensland.
The Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management used its funds to target foxes, which are a significant threat to loggerhead, green and flatback turtles, along the coast between Bundaberg and Agnes Water.
The four round two projects built on the nine projects that started in round one – including one on Cape York’s east side that resulted in fewer than 15 % of nests falling prey to pigs, compared previously with the reported almost 100% destruction at that beach.
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