Illegal Indonesian fishermen target green turtles on the Great Barrier Reef
13 Feb 2006
WWF, the conservation organisation, is extremely concerned by weekend reports of illegal Indonesian fishing boats well inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMPA) and near Raine Island, the largest green turtle rookery in the Southern Hemisphere.
"We are very concerned about reports of Indonesian fishing boats illegally fishing near Raine Island, within the Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The area is one of the world's most important green turtle nesting sites. Turtles face enough threats from hooks, lines, and nets as they make their journey across the oceans without coming under direct threat from illegal fisherman, said Dr Ghislaine Llewellyn", WWF-Australia marine program leader.
"If you look at the latest global assessment of green turtles populations worldwide1, we see the Australian Great Barrier Reef populations on Heron Island and Raine Island are improving while Indonesian populations show steep declines. This latest incident is another troubling symptom of the growing problem of illegal fishing and the threat it poses to Australian fish and protected species."
Raine Island is a jewel in the crown of biodiversity, and is of critical importance to maintaining the overall richness of the Great Barrier Reef. Raine Island provides a safe haven for the next generation of turtles to hatch and leave their first tracks in the sand - it is vital we protect it from poachers.
Like all turtle species, green turtles can take up to 30 years to reach sexual maturity before they come ashore to lay eggs. In the ocean, they face threats from accidental entanglement in fishing gears and marine debris. On land, turtle eggs and hatchlings are vulnerable to predators. Across the SE Asia region, there is widespread recorded harvesting of turtle meat and eggs for local subsistence use and commercial markets like Bali where green turtle meat is in demand.
The global outlook for green turtles is an overall decline in nesting females of between 48-67 per cent for the last three generations. Globally, green turtles are listed as Endangered by IUCN, and under Australian legislation they are listed as Vulnerable.
The Howard Government has recently put almost a quarter of a billion dollars on the table in a 'Securing a Fishing Future' package. WWF believes similar scales of commitment are needed to tackle the problem of illegal fishing, with support primarily focused on stopping the problem at its source in Indonesia.
For more information
Jacqueline McArthur, Communications Manager - Media, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1274
Mobile: 0424 649 689
Email: jmcarthur@wwf.org.au
The Changing Nature of High Seas Fishing report uses examples from the Southern Ocean to outline how flags of convenience provide cover for pirate fishing operations.
Notes
- IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group Chelonia Midas Assessment April 2004
