| |
LATTAKIA, SANA _Members of the Syrian Association for Protection of the Syrian Shores have been studying, protecting and monitoring schools of sea turtles at the sandy shores of al-Shqaifat, Sanober Jablah and northern Banyas in Lattakia.
Chairman of the Association Adib Saad said that the committee carries the eggs of the turtles which are threatened to sink or any other danger to more protected places to ensure safe hatching. The period until hatching lasts 50 days.
He added that the Association tagged the sea turtles with Platinum plate on which a special number and the name and address of the association are written.
The turtles nesting season extends from late May to August and hatchlings erupt from late July to October.
Prior to 2004 the last available record of sea turtles in Syria came from a spot survey undertaken in 1991. That survey revealed that on the whole 183km Syria coast only one beach, south of Lattakia City, showed significant turtle nesting, with 29 tracks being observed. All were thought to be loggerheads' (Kasparek, 1995). Syrian scientists had no more nesting information, but reported loggerhead capture in nets.
H.Zain/ Idelbi
|
|
