Endangered turtles find Hong Kong a haven

Mar 26, 2009, 4:40 GMT

   Hong Kong - Hong Kong is playing an important role in the survival of the endangered green turtle by acting as a key breeding ground and transit route, a media report said Thursday.

   Biologists using satellite tracking tags fixed to four female green turtles showed Hong Kong was a vital marine passage, the Standard newspaper said.

   'Our data showed they do migrate among feeding grounds in waters near Hong Kong, migrating from the Philippines to China to lay eggs,' said Cheung Ka-shing, an officer with the Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department.

   Green turtles are among the four turtle species that have been spotted in the territory. The others are the critically endangered leatherback and hawksbill turtles and the Olive Ridley turtle.

   Cheung spoke after the department said it planned to release 22 baby turtles in the middle of the year. The baby turtles, which hatched in December, were from the seventh batch of eggs laid by a green turtle last year.

   The female turtle, equipped with metal tags attached to its flippers and a satellite transmitter, has been tracked along the coast of Guangdong province in southern China and into Vietnamese waters.

   Cheung said the turtle previously came ashore in Hong Kong in 2003 and both visits coincided with typhoons that hit the city. This could be a coincidence or the turtle might feel safer coming ashore during storms, he added.