The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is expecting around 100 hatchlings of critically endangered Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Sta. Ana, Cagayan Province.
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga revealed the information as she renewed the call for the public to assist the government in protecting the nesting site after Leatherback turtle was monitored to have laid eggs for the third time along the shoreline in Barangay Centro, about six kilometers from Palaui Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes.
Loyzaga said a sea turtle takes 20-30 years to mature and can lay several times during nesting.
"When a female sea turtle is ready to lay eggs, she returns to the nesting beach where she was born according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This gives us more reason to pursue our goal to put up a marine scientific research station in the said town," Loyzaga said.
For her part, DENR Region 2 Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan said they already hired two coastal protection officers to work on the protection and patrolling of the nesting sites.
“We are expecting about a hundred hatchlings in two to three months so we appeal for the support of the coastal community, the local government, and law enforcement agencies to help the DENR protect the nesting sites,” Bambalan said.
With the assistance of the municipal local government, sturdy netting protection and signage were installed to secure the nesting area and to keep away stray dogs and poachers.
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority has also committed to deploy a security guard to monitor the nest near the resort.