ABU DHABI, 1 April 2022 (WAM), — Since the beginning of the new year, more than 200 sea turtles have been rescued by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. The National Aquarium of Abu Dhabi (TNA), EAD’s partner in the Wildlife Rescue Programme, has supported EAD’s admirable efforts.
Ahmed Al Hashmi is the Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector, EAD. He said, “Through our partnership with TNA we have been able rehabilitate a lot of turtles to ensure that there are many different species of turtles in Abu Dhabi waters.” Our specialized research team has been monitoring these turtles regularly and studying their behavior and habits since they were released back into their natural habitat.
We are delighted to include the rehabilitation a Olive Ridley Sea Turtle as part of our efforts. This is a sign the abundance of our biodiversity which we aspire for future generations to enjoy for decades.
EAD is stepping up efforts to protect and conserve native wildlife due to the growing number of turtles still being stranded every year in Abu Dhabi’s waters. They have increased their manpower and invested in state-of the-art facilities. This proactivity reinforces their commitment for providing more efficient rehabilitation for rescued local wildlife with a special emphasis on sea turtles.
Beatriz Maquieira is the Curator at TNA. She said that sea turtles are among the most migratory species on the planet. Abu Dhabi’s waters are home to two endangered turtle species, the Hawksbill Turtle (critically endangered) and the Green Turtle (endangered). We want to provide the best care for these animals, with over 5,000 sea turtles living in Abu Dhabi and many more arriving each year.
TNA signed a MoU with EAD in 2020 to establish the Wildlife Rescue Programme. This mission aims to rescue, rehabilitate, and release native wildlife in Abu Dhabi. This alignment of goals has resulted in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of many species of turtles back to the Arabian Gulf. These turtles include Loggerhead turtles that are rarely seen. The ongoing rehabilitation process of their latest rescue, an Olive Ridley Turtle (second-smallest sea turtle found anywhere in the world), has also been successful.
TNA and EAD worked together to rescue 250 sea turtles in 2021. Of these, 150 were released back into their oceans and three were tagged by satellite. The rescue of more 200 turtles last summer was followed by additional release events. The current rescue, which is the best yet, will soon take place back in the Arabian Gulf. The National Aquarium will be showing the current rescues before the release.
TNA being the Middle Easts biggest aquarium and EAD being the Middle Easts most powerful environmental regulator, it makes sense that the two organizations have teamed together to create the Wildlife Rescue Programme. This is the largest program of its kind in the region. Their commitment to being the best rehabilitation centre in the Middle East for wildlife continues to be a strong focus on the Abu Dhabi sea turtles.