QPWS team studies turtles, remove over 100kg of rubbish from crucial turtle nesting habitat

Issued: 9 Feb 2024

Threatened Species officers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) have removed rubbish and large debri from foreshore on one of the world’s most important hawksbill turtle rookeries.

The crew of four staff and a Senior Ranger from the Ipima Ikaya Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC spent 17 days on remote Milman Island off the coast of Apudthama National Park (CYPAL), surveying nesting sea turtles and hatchlings.

Between surveys, they removed debris that had washed up on the remote beach, which was blocking turtles from accessing crucial nesting sites, including 17 large dead trees.

Due to the island’s remote location, it accumulates a significant amount of marine plastic and large beach-washed logs from across the Coral Sea.

A 2021 University of Sunshine Coast study of debris found on the island showed the trees had originated from as far away as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

QPWS Technical Officer Julian Wilson and the team physically removed the trees by chopping them into smaller pieces and moving them above the high tide line to allow turtles to lay their eggs in the dunes where they are safe from tidal changes.

As fires are not permitted on the island, this was the only method available.

He said the results were immediate.

“It was quite amazing – within a day of us clearing one spot, a green turtle climbed up the beach in the exact same place where a large tree had been just hours earlier,” Mr Wilson said.

“In the time we were there, four different turtles came up and nested in areas that were previously blocked off by timber.

“Like many crucial turtle rookeries across the Great Barrier Reef, Milman Island is under threat from impacts of climate change on top of inundation from marine debris.

“So for us to be able to make an immediate difference to the island while also collecting information to help fight the long-term impacts, it was pretty special to see such quick results.”

The team also removed more than 100kg of marine rubbish from the same stretch of beach that had been completely cleared of litter during last year’s visit.

The primary focus of the annual Milman Island visit is to tag and assess nesting turtles, assess hatchling success rates, and note any changes to the island’s size and condition.

Over the two-week period of their deployment, the team tagged and checked about 130 turtles, with some visiting the island multiple times.

Most of the turtles that nest on the island are endangered hawksbill turtles, but other species including green and flatback turtles also rely on the 2km reef islet for nesting.

Data collected from the island helps to inform departmental conservation strategies and policies, with the aim of ensuring the island remains a viable rookery for threatened species well into the future.