The green sea turtle, was added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of threatened species as critically endangered in 2004. Hong Kong is home to a small number of nesting and foraging turtles who mainly live on the southern beaches of Lama island. After 2005 however green turtle sightings there started becoming extremely rare.
One major threat to the turtles is the trawling boats and yachts on the south side of Lamma Island that cause accidental deaths. Turtles get caught in fishing nets and can also die from collisions with ships. The ships in the area also pollute the waters with petroleum killing both turtles prey and turtles themselves.
“For the nesting green turtles on the Lamma Island, we've designated the Sham Wan beach as a restricted area so the public could not access basically the only regular nesting beach of the green turtle in Hong Kong from June to October” Says K.S. Cheung the head Officer with Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Fishing boats, speedboats, and yachts are still seen however at Sham Wan Beach all throughout the year almost. You can rent a junk boat to take you to this specific location and many people do that.
Let us demand that the Marine police who patrol the waters strictly enforce these laws to protect the few green turtles left that nest at Sham Wan Beach.
