It has been a pleasure to get to know you all and teach you this year. We are so proud of you all! Thank you for all your collaboration during lockdown – you have been amazing! Please watch this short goodbye video from us.

As a goodbye gift from us – we have sponsored a Hawksbill Turtle with the WWF on your behalf. More information will arrive over the summer holidays and will be shared with you by your P3 teachers. You can download the certificate and picture below. We have also included information from WWF about how your sponsorship will help to protect and save turtles.

Marine turtles are excellent navigators – they often migrate hundreds, even thousands of kilometres between feeding and nesting grounds. Male turtles never leave the sea, but females come ashore to lay eggs – amazingly to the same beach where they themselves hatched.

THREATS

FISHING

Marine turtles need to get to the surface to breathe, and if they get caught up in fishing gear, they can drown.

HABITAT DESTRUCTION

One of the main threats marine turtles face is the destruction of their habitats. Development along coastlines is destroying nesting beaches, making it harder for female turtles to lay their eggs.

POACHING

Marine turtles are poached for their meat and shells, and nests are raided for eggs, which are seen as a delicacy in some cultures.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, and increase the number, and the intensity, of storms. This can damage and destroy nesting beaches.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We’re reducing the negative impact of fishing practices on marine turtles by, including the use of less-harmful fishing gear – for example, ‘circle hooks’ instead of traditional ‘j’ hooks can reduce accidental capture of turtles by up to 80%.

We’re helping protect marine turtle habitats. In Fiji, we’re engaging with local communities to help them protect, monitor and manage turtle nesting grounds

Your adoption and support will help us:

• Reduce accidental by-catch of turtles and lobbying to have on-board observers on fishing vessels
• Influencing national policy including input into the Fiji Sea Turtle Recovery Plan
• Community protection, monitoring and community turtle monitors and sharing of data and insights to improve turtle conservation
• Educating local communities on the importance of Marine Turtles and their threatened status.
• Capacity building on law enforcement, protection, management, research and monitoring
• Promoting sustainable development and livelihood diversification to reduce pressure on marine environment
• Fund our other essential work around the world

Turtles have light, spongy bones that help them float.