Department of Fisheries begin Green Turtle surveys for 2010

DFMR staff and volunteers on Scrub Island while Green Turtle surveying

(The Valley, Anguilla) - Last Thursday saw the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR) undertake their first Green Turtle survey for the 2010 monitoring season. In total thirteen turtles were measured and tagged, two of which had been captured before during previous surveys.

These surveys complement other aspects of DFMR’s turtle research, including in-water Hawksbill Turtle surveys and monitoring of key beaches for signs of nesting activity, which has an overall aim of ascertaining the status of turtle populations in Anguilla.

This in turn facilitates management decisions to be made for these threatened species. Green Turtle surveys, which on this occasion took place at Scrub Island, are a very labour intensive procedure and as such DFMR always has to rely on help from volunteers. The majority of these volunteers come from the Island Harbour fishing community or through association with the Anguilla National Trust, and DFMR would like to take this opportunity to thank all that participated for their hard work.