Doha, April 01 (QNA) - The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced on Wednesday the start of the marine turtle nesting season in the State of Qatar, which runs from April 1 -August 1.

This announcement comes as part of the country’s strong commitment to protecting endangered species and monitoring rare terrestrial and marine wildlife, which represent a national treasure for current and future generations.

In this context, Director of the Wildlife Development Department at the Ministry Khalid Jumaa Al Mohannadi said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Ministry is monitoring all nests of hawksbill sea turtles along the northern coasts and islands of the country. He added that relocating nests threatened by high tides and monitoring their temperature helps ensure successful hatching.

Regarding the main challenges, Al Mohannadi said that climate change and human activities pose the greatest risks, and that efforts are underway to address them through continuous field monitoring programs and raising public awareness about the importance of protecting this endangered species.

The Director of the Wildlife Development Department also stressed the importance of taking DNA samples to help study the embryonic composition of the turtles and improve protection plans. He explained that these measures have resulted, over recent years, in the release of more than 60,000 hatchlings back into the sea, reflecting the success of the programs and contributing to enhancing ecological balance along Qatar’s coasts.

The hawksbill sea turtle has been classified as an endangered species since 1982 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Qatar launched a protection project for this species in 2003, making it one of the leading initiatives in safeguarding endangered marine species in the country.

The project aims to preserve hawksbill sea turtles along Qatar’s northern coasts, including the beaches of Ras Laffan, Al Huwailah, Al Jassasiya, Al Maroona, Fuwairit, Al Ghariyah, and Al Mafyar, in addition to the islands of Umm Tais, Ras Rakan, Shraoh, and Halul. (QNA)