The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Wednesday appealed anew to the public to protect the nesting site of marine turtles.
The plea was raised following the discovery of an egg-laying by the critically endangered Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
“When a female sea turtle is ready to lay eggs, she returns to the nesting beach where she was born according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This gives us more reason to pursue our goal to put up a marine scientific research station in the said town,” DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said.
The marine turtle laid eggs for the third time along a shoreline in Barangay Centro, about six kilometers from the protected landscapes and seascapes of Palaui Island.
Citing a scientified study, Loyzaga said a sea turtle takes 20 to 30 years to mature and can lay eggs several times during nesting. Rio N. Araja
“We are expecting about a hundred hatchlings in two to three months, so we appeal for the support of the coastal community, the local government, and law enforcement agencies to help the DENR protect the nesting sites,” she said.
