- News>
- Environment
Rare green turtles spotted in Guinea-Bissau
Bubaque,July 01: Rare green turtles threatened with extinction have been spotted off Guinea-Bissau for the first time in a year thanks to new satellite monitoring, officials said Monday.
Bubaque,July 01: Rare green turtles threatened with extinction have been spotted off Guinea-Bissau for the first time in a year thanks to new satellite monitoring, officials said on Monday.
Eighty turtles have been identified on the islands of Poilao and Joao Vieira around 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the mainland, said the head of Guinea-Bissau`s sea parks authority, Castro Barboza. The turtles were spotted because six had been fitted with sensors in October 2000 as part of scheme to track the migration routes of the rare reptiles. Barbosa said their appearance on Poilao and Joao Vieira was not surprising with the islands part of a specially protected world site regarded as one of the most important breeding areas for the turtles on the Atlantic coast. "Each year, more than 7,000 of these marine reptiles regularly come to lay their eggs in these places," Barboza said.
With the aid of the satellite-based sensors, scientists have been able to discover when the turtles arrive on the Guinea-Bissau coastline to lay their eggs before heading north towards Mauritania.
The turtles then swim more than 1,000 kilometers across the Atlantic to Brazil, from where they once again head off on the long journey back to Africa.
The green turtle is an endangered species owing to overexploitation of its meat, hides and eggs.
Bureau Report
Eighty turtles have been identified on the islands of Poilao and Joao Vieira around 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the mainland, said the head of Guinea-Bissau`s sea parks authority, Castro Barboza. The turtles were spotted because six had been fitted with sensors in October 2000 as part of scheme to track the migration routes of the rare reptiles. Barbosa said their appearance on Poilao and Joao Vieira was not surprising with the islands part of a specially protected world site regarded as one of the most important breeding areas for the turtles on the Atlantic coast. "Each year, more than 7,000 of these marine reptiles regularly come to lay their eggs in these places," Barboza said.
With the aid of the satellite-based sensors, scientists have been able to discover when the turtles arrive on the Guinea-Bissau coastline to lay their eggs before heading north towards Mauritania.
The turtles then swim more than 1,000 kilometers across the Atlantic to Brazil, from where they once again head off on the long journey back to Africa.
The green turtle is an endangered species owing to overexploitation of its meat, hides and eggs.
Bureau Report