Helping the Mapoon people to protect turtles

Cape York Peninsula.Click here for a high resolution PDF map

Welcome to Cape York Turtle Rescue. Our research with these critically endangered animals is conducted in one of the most interesting regions of Queensland. The areas we go to are some of the most remote and isolated parts of the coast and we hope that you will get the most from your experience. Your role is crucial in assisting us in various aspects of data collection. Whether you choose to be involved in either a nesting or general survey you will have lots of "hands on"participation including tagging and measuring turtles. You could also be involved in other aspects such as counting and measuring eggs.

Mapoon is an Aboriginal community about 90 kilometres north of Weipa on the west coast of Australia's Cape York Peninsula - just 200 kms from 'the tip' - Australia's most northerly point. Around 280 people live in Mapoon and there are 3 Aboriginal Rangers from the community who are responsible for looking after over 85 kilometres of beach along the eastern side of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The traditional Aboriginal owners of Mapoon sea country have assigned these Rangers with the responsibility of protecting and monitoring turtles which nest on these beaches. There are 7 species of marine turtles worldwide and 4 of those species forage and nest on the eastern beaches of the Gulf of Carpentaria. They are the Green, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Flat Back turtles.

Sea turtles on Western Cape York are in real decline, with nesting populations threatened with extinction within 25 years. Adult animals are being entangled and drowned in ghost nets and a large population of marauding feral pigs are predating over 95% of nests on some beaches. When combined with the fact that sea turtles have relatively low reproductive success and high juvenile mortality, it follows that the future for turtles on the Western Cape is critical.

Part of the Cape York Turtle Rescue strategy is to better understand the needs of the turtles from a scientific perspective. This lack of knowledge to date has limited opportunities to develop effective and culturally acceptable conservation and management measures in the region.

Participants in our turtle expeditions will work with Rangers to assist with identifying nesting turtles, installing Feral Pig Exclusion Devices (FPEDs), and collecting and compiling data to develop a sustainable management strategy.

Camp Chivaree is located at the mouth of Janie Creek

Activities will involve patrols of up to 24 kilometres of beach from Janie Creek to the Pennefather River - the traditional country of the Yupungathi people. Camp Chivaree has been established on the northern bank of Janie Creek on Tjungundji lands to access the project site by boat and 4WD.

Camps are scheduled to coincide with peak nesting times for the Olive Ridley and Flat Back turtles. These occur during the new and full moon phases from July through November. Part of the work to be undertaken is identification of species, incidence, numbers, locations and time frames. Project participants are essential to the success of the expeditions and are involved in all aspects of the work the Rangers undertake.

Specific duties include:

Quantify the size and structure of nesting populations
Monitor trends in the nesting environment
Quantify nesting turtle fecundity including clutch size, clutches per season, egg morphometrics
Protection of nesting sites
Incidence of feral pig predation on unprotected nests
Evaluate prototype Feral Pig Exclusion Devices
Identify and record ghost nets on beach
Assist Rangers with the removal and disposal of ghost nets