Tuesday May 31, 2022
The Phnom Penh Post —
Researchers from the Fisheries Administration (FiA) – and the Coastal and Marine Conservation team at Fauna & Flora International Cambodia Programme (FFI-Cambodia) – expressed joy and pride after they recently discovered a nest of endangered sea turtles on one of the Kingdom’s islands.
Officials said the sea turtle (superfamily Chelonioidea) was previously thought to have gone extinct in the past decade.
Ouk Vibol, director of the FiA’s fisheries conservation department, said that since records began in 2001, researchers from his department and FFI-Cambodia had discovered a total of 140 sea turtles, of which 43 were Hawksbill and 90 Green.
He said the turtles were released back into the sea after they were painted with identifying marks – with some of them chipped with location beacons so their movements could be monitored.
According to a report seen by The Post on May 30, the latest colony was found in late March, following their disappearance in the last decade. A total of 93 eggs were found and 36 had hatched.