Green sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs should be reported to the Penghu County Government to help preserve the endangered species, especially as the national conservation zone in Wangan Island (望安島) is seeing fewer of the turtles return to lay eggs, the Penghu Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said.
Wangan Island was designated a conservation area for green sea turtles in 1991, when 16 turtles — a high — returned to lay eggs, but the numbers have been dropping ever since, the department said.
Only one turtle was reported returning to lay eggs in 2014 and two last year, the department said.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
Magong Island’s (馬公) Shihli (蒔裡) and Longmen (龍門) districts have seen more of the turtles returning.
Hawksbill sea turtles have also been reported in Husi (湖西) and Nanliao (南寮) districts, the department said.
Other locations, such as Jibei Islet (吉貝嶼), Penghu beach and other beaches around the county have all reported sightings of turtles laying eggs, the department said, adding that it is asking county residents to report any sightings to help conserve the places where these endangered reptiles lay eggs.
The Council of Agriculture and the Forestry Bureau have given permission for officials to dig out weaker turtles that are struggling to make it out of their nests once the majority of young turtles have been seen moving toward the sea.
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