Friday, Oct 31, 2008

Gulf News

Muscat: Environmentalists in Oman have given a new lease of life to a 150kg female green turtle, which is listed as a critically endangered species.

A top official at the Ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs has praised the volunteers for their efforts in sending back to sea the turtle its rescuers named Tina - abbreviation of Turtle In Need of Assistance.

Ali Al Kiyumi, the Director General of Nature Reserve at the Ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs, told Gulf News yesterday: "It is heartening to know that Environment Society of Oman (ESO) volunteers and the private sector are contributing largely to save the marine species and our environment."

Recalling the services of Andrew Willson, consultant with the Five Oceans Environmental Services, who had played a key role in the "rescue and rehabilitation mission", Al Kiyumi said:

"We do not have a centre where we can rehabilitate marine species found struggling for life in our waters, therefore the effort of Wilson and other volunteers, to rehabilitate a green turtle, is really commendable."

Al Kiyumi promised that the government would set up such a rehabilitation centre by next year.

He said that the turtle had bubbles in her intestine and was struggling to swim. "It was treated at the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre in Muscat for over two months," he said.

The distressed turtle was originally found floating in Sohar Port area by July end and taken from the water by members of the Port Authority because they found her in trouble. Harbour Master John Hollander then called the ESO.

ESO asked marine scientist Willson, who has had previous experience in rehabilitating turtles at an aquarium in Kuwait, and is currently working on turtle conservation initiatives in Oman, to take over the rehabilitation process for the turtle believed to be over 50 years old.

"We first thought that she had a broken flipper as she was swimming in circles," Wilson said about the initial diagnosis.

"The situation with the conservation of turtles now is that every turtle is worth saving and this turtle was also a good opportunity to learn more about the illnesses and impacts they suffer from," he said.

"The diagnosis was that she had a condition called 'Turtle Floating Syndrome'.

"Floating syndrome can be a result of human impacts such as boat strikes causing bruising or from the turtle ingesting plastic," he said.

It could also be a result of natural causes like failure of the digestive system through infection or disease.

Due to this condition the turtle was unable to dive and feed on sea grasses and algae found on the seabed and make up for the majority of a green turtle's diet. Because of this the turtle was week, underweight and at risk of further disease.

"Initially the turtle was only thought to have a 50 per cent chance of being cured. It is the first time turtle rehabilitation has been attempted in the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre and the success has only been possible due to the collaborative effort from all parties involved," said Lubna Al Kharusi, the Director at the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre.

On Tuesday, a support team and well wishers showed up at the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre to help see her off. Leaving nothing to chance, the team enlisted support from the Omani Sail Team to help lift the 150kg turtle from the rehabilitation pool. The turtle was then measured and tagged before driving her to the beach near Qantab at Bar Al Jissa for release.

Dwindling breed

- Turtles have been around on earth for 200 million years. It is only in the last 200 years that their numbers have fallen to a critical level due to rapid development and intrusion into their habitat.

--Thousands of turtles die every year from eating plastic bags floating in the sea. They usually mistake the litter for jellyfish - a part of their diet.

--Green turtles are one of four species that nest in Oman. The other species - hawksbill, olive ridley and loggerhead - are also recognised as endangered or critically endangered globally.

--The Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry of Fisheries Wealth, Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Five Oceans Environmental Services, Tafani Veterinary Clinic, Port of Sohar, Directorate General of Veterinary Services, Environment Society of Oman Volunteers, Oman Sail Team, took part in the Turtle In Need of Assistance project.

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