The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) appealed anew to the public last week to protect the nesting site of marine turtles following the latest incident of egg laying of the critically endangered Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Sta. Ana, Cagayan province.
The marine turtle laid eggs for the third time along the shoreline in Barangay Centro, about six kilometers from Palaui Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes.
Citing a study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said a sea turtle takes 20 to 30 years to mature and can lay several times during nesting.
“When a female sea turtle is ready to lay eggs, she returns to the nesting beach where she was born according to NOAA. This gives us more reason to pursue our goal to put up a marine scientific research station in the said town,” Loyzaga said.
Following the order of Loyzaga, Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan reported that two coastal protection officers were hired by DENR in Cagayan province to work on the protection and patrolling of the nesting sites.
“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,” Bambalan said. DENR News
