Partnership to protect turtles

Rio Tinto and the Department of Parks and Wildlife have formed a three-year partnership to ensure the future of hawksbill turtles in the Dampier Archipelago through the delivery of the Rosemary Island turtle tagging program.

The program monitors nesting hawksbill turtles across five beaches on the western side of Rosemary Island.

Department of Parks and Wildlife marine program co-ordinator Dr Rachael Marshall said the Rosemary Island turtle tagging began in 1986 and is the oldest tagging program in WA.

"The program is conducted in October each year and involves two weeks of intense fieldwork, tagging nesting turtles across five Rosemary Island beaches," she said. "The program is a primary capture-recapture study of hawksbill turtles during their peak nesting period."

The Rio Tinto general manager of port operations Nick Serle said the program was integral to the sustainability of the marine turtles in the area.

"Turtle conservation is imperative for the region and it is important we support initiatives that monitor turtle behaviour and work hard to protect their habitat," he said.

Hawksbill turtles are listed as 'critically endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.