Posted on April, 05 2012

by Creusa Hitipeuw

Along the massive and mountainous Bird’s Head Peninsula that makes up the island of New Guinea’s northwestern corner, lies the uninterrupted sweep of sea and long beaches that currently support the largest remaining population of leatherback turtles in the Pacific Ocean. The Suku Karon, the local indigenous people, are hunter-gatherers in transition. They set snares to capture wild animals and grow small subsistence "forest gardens", where they raise the starch-hearted sago palm and root crops like sweet potatoes, cassava and fruits. Yet these are the same people who have made this remote place (previously recognized as Jamursba Medi Beach) known internationally, and the turtles have convened people here from around the world. The beach (now also including Warmon and the surrounding coastal area) is being proposed as Abun-Turtle based Marine Protected Area, where the long-term protection of the these turtles persists.

At night, as the surf gently laps the shore, one will notice a shadow climbing up the beach. It is a female leatherback coming to lay eggs. During the peak of the nesting season, several females approach the shores at the same time to nest. The turtle nesting pattern on this coast is unusual as they nest around the year, with a peak nesting season around June-July. These turtles make up almost 85% of the leatherback turtle population in the Pacific. The published research data on the movement of leatherbacks nesting from this beach (based on collaboration with NOAA in 2005) revealed that these turtles perform extraordinary migrations all the way to Oregon on the U.S. western board to feed themselves. The study highlighted potential areas where interaction of leatherbacks and fisheries occurred, and where mitigation measures to reduce the mortality of leatherbacks at sea from fisheries should take place.

In the dark, beyond the edge of the lowland forest, wild boars are waiting for their chance to dig up the turtle nests, leaving cone-shaped craters surrounded by emptied, shriveled eggshells behind them. Wild pigs are plentiful here, and they are by far the turtles’ worst problem after long-running conservation efforts succeeded in eliminating the poaching of eggs.

A team of local patrollers wandering the 17 km of beach count turtle nests and record predated and inundated nests. They also involved in the predator control program by setting net grids, arrow and bow hunting, leg snares and beach fencing. Their involvement in this conservation effort has been crucial and without doubt had contributed to the present status of Abun (Jamursba Medi and Warmon) as the last stronghold of leatherbacks in the Pacific. Still, long-term efforts are needed to protect this globally important beach to ensure the recovery of its population. The long term co-existence of endangered turtles and people is what WWF aims for.