Turtles worth preserving

 The movement of turtles on Papua New Guinea shores indicate a healthy marine environment, so they are worth preserving, says a marine specialist Job Opu.

Opu said: “If more turtles come to the shores to lay their eggs, we know that the country’s marine environment is healthy.”

He said turtles were an indication species that informed us on the health of the marine environment. 

That  was one of the reasons of preserving the turtles as they provided this information.

The other reasons for preserving the turtles are:

• Stem the declining number of turtles and allow them to grow;
• Turtle meat has nutritious value. It is good for the mothers and babies. Preserving turtle species enables them to multiply so we can hunt them for their meat; and
• Turtles have cultural importance to some coastal communities. Losing the turtles may result in loss of turtle songs and totems.

To preserve the turtles, their breeding, feeding and nesting places needed protection.