Dozens of representatives attended the WCTTAA meeting. Photo: Cape York NRM.
Ranger groups on the Cape have boosted the survival rate of endangered sea turtle hatchlings, with millions more living to see another day – partially thanks to the widespread eradication of feral pigs, with almost 7500 removed in one nesting season alone.
New data on the scale and impact of the work was highlighted when more than 70 representatives from nine ranger groups met at Cairns for the annual meeting of the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance (WCTTAA).
The largest gathering in the alliance’s history, the March meeting hosted by Cape York Natural Resource Management (NRM) included state and federal government agencies, as well as other organisations working to conserve marine turtles.
Attendees heard First Nations rangers combined action on the ground with long-term monitoring to improve hatchling survival rates and better understand populations on remote nesting beaches.
Feral pigs roam flood plains in Cape York. Photo: Nathan Waltham/JCU.
It was revealed 7493 feral pigs – a key predator of nests and eggs – were “removed” by various means during the recent season. Rangers also set up cages over nests to protect against pigs, dingoes and goannas.
Kowanyama Land and Sea Rangers senior ranger Ronderson Tommy said the meeting was “an eye-opener” and it was ” good to see what other people are doing and share information”.
He said his team had been taking advantage of new tools, including e-bikes for beach patrols.
Pormpuraaw Land and Sea Rangers coordinator Clinton Williams said long-term monitoring was essential to protect nesting habitats.
“The information we collect from places like Hersey Beach helps us understand how turtles are using the area and whether their populations are changing over time,” he said.
Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers at the WCTTAA meeting. Photo: Cape York NRM.
Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell praised the rangers and said the state was “taking strong action on feral pests”.
“Feral pigs remain a key threat to marine turtles, but an estimated 2.5 million hatchlings have already been protected in the region through the Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program (since 2014),” he said.
“By supporting Indigenous ranger groups on the ground, we’re protecting habitats, improving hatchling survival and securing these species for future generations.”
The Nest to Ocean program is jointly funded by the Federal and Queensland governments.
Queensland program representative Mike Gregory said the scale of the work on the Cape was significant.
“We know pigs are a major issue for turtles nesting in Queensland, but in terms of coordinated action and the number of feral pigs being removed, the western Cape is leading the way,” he said.
“It’s an enormous effort from WCTTAA and the ranger groups. Their work is having a profound and positive impact on marine turtle populations in the Far North.”
Western Cape York has been identified as one of six demonstration sites under the National Feral Pig Action Plan, recognising the coordinated pest control work.
National Feral Pig Management coordinator Heather Channon said: “This work is showing how pig control directly supports turtle hatchling success.”
Apudthama Land Trust senior ranger Christopher Lifu, Cape York NRM’s Dr Manuela Fischer and National Feral Pig Management coordinator Heather Channon. Photo: Cape York NRM.
“It’s also highlighting the capability and expertise of ranger teams working on Country,” she said.
Cape York NRM chief Pip Schroor said it was great to see a record number of attendees and it was “a remarkable achievement for the program”.
“Through on-ground action and long-term monitoring, rangers on the western Cape are protecting nests and hatchlings, reducing predation and gathering data that directly supports these vulnerable species,” she said.
The meeting also flagged growing concerns for populations of the olive ridley turtle on the western Cape. Rangers recorded just 88 olive ridley nests compared with 1587 flatback nests across monitored beaches this year.
Cape York NRM program lead for marine turtle conservation Dr Manuela Fischer, who works closely with rangers, warned the species needs ongoing protection.
“While nesting numbers for flatback turtles remain relatively stable, the number of olive ridley nests has declined since the start of the decade,” she said.
Rio Tinto also provided an update on its turtle monitoring program and support was shown for an Eastern Cape York Turtle Conservation Project, building on the success of WCTTAA.
WCTTAA is a partnership of Indigenous land and sea owners and managers from Apudthama Land Trust and the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Aak Puul Ngantam Cape York and Kowanyama.
The alliance is backed by Cape York NRM through joint government funding and Rio Tinto’s Western Cape Community Development Fund.
