NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is calling on the Camden Haven community to help reduce threats to turtles by using the environment responsibly and disposing of litter appropriately.
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“It is not uncommon to find some turtles have ingested small plastic fragments and debris that cannot be digested,” a spokesperson from the organisation said.
“These fragments can accumulate in their guts, which can lead to internal injury or blockage of the digestive system leading to their death.”
Read more: Half of all sea turtles have eaten plastic
Turtle nesting areas in NSW, including the Camden Haven, represent a tiny fraction of nesting areas in Australia.
“However they are still very important for a number of reasons for the species in the future,” the spokesperson said.
“Every individual turtle is important to the survival of the species, to local populations and to global turtle populations.”
NPWS employs a number of strategies to help protect turtles, to educate the community to dispose of plastic waste appropriately and encourage people to use the natural environment responsibly.
In the Camden Haven there have been fluctuations in the number of sick or injured turtles each year.
“We are seeing increasing community awareness and initiative taken by members of the community to seek the help of the NPWS and conservation and volunteer groups to protect turtles,” the spokesperson said.
“There has been an improvement in the timeliness and reliability of turtle sightings, or injured and compromised turtles.”
The NPWS spokesperson said the organisation is concerned about the cumulative effect human pressures have on the natural environment, and in turn can have on nesting success.
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