Doha, June 10 (QNA) - HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani participated today in an awareness campaign organized by the Ministry on the occasion of World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8 of each year. The event took place at the headquarters of the turtle conservation project. It involved cleaning the depths of Fuwairit Beach and release baby turtles.
In a statement to the press statement, HE the Minister stressed that organizing this event on the occasion of World Oceans Day and the beginning of the hatching season of hawksbill sea turtles reflects the ministry's commitment to involve the public in efforts to preserve the environment, including the project to protect the endangered hawksbill turtles. His Excellency highlighted the need to raise awareness and educate the importance of preserving the biodiversity of the State of Qatar.
His Excellency stressed that the project to protect hawksbill sea turtles succeeded in allocating safe places for turtles to nest and hatch, which contributes to enriching the marine environment, pointing to the ministry's keenness to work on the matter since 2003, which was followed by the issuance of ministerial resolution No. 37 of 2010 regarding the preservation of the marine environment on protecting turtles and seabirds from extinction.
His Excellency stated that the ministry's work team released more than 35,000 baby turtles during the past five years.
HE the Minister also noted that the current season was also crowned with great success, as 98 nests were moved to the protected site at Fuwairit Beach, and the turtle hatching season began more than two months after placing the first nest at the site. His Excellency expressed his appreciation of the measures taken by the Ministry to protect these endangered species and the high survival rate of their young that are released to the sea, especially with regard to water tanks and the initial incubation period for young turtles before they are released to the sea.
Today's event so His Excellency and other ministry officials release baby turtles, with a host of volunteers from Qatar Red Crescent and other groups concerned with sustainability taking part.
Afterwards, His Excellency honored the participating authorities and thanked everyone for their efforts to ensure the success of the project. (QNA)