UAE turtle population rises, but plastic threat remains

Conservation drives and rules for single-use plastics help boost coastal environment

The UAE's turtle population has steadily increased in recent years, with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi reporting a 30 per cent increase in numbers compared with a decade ago.

But ingesting plastic remains a key issue, with reports this year that discarded plastic bags have caused some turtles to lose their flippers. While plastic pollution is still a major issue for marine conservation efforts, experts say national single-use plastic policies have improved the coastal environment.

Such initiatives, coupled with marine protection programmes, have led to positive results.

How Abu Dhabi's ban on single-use plastic bags is saving precious turtles

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Barbara Lang Lenton, director of the aquarium and turtle rehabilitation project at Burj Al Arab Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, examines a turtle that lost two flippers and ingested plastic. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ms Lenton measures a piece of plastic ingested by a turtle

One of the pieces of plastic ingested by a rescued turtle in Dubai was 84cm long

The quarantine area at Burj Al Arab Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

A turtle that was injured most likely in a boating accident

While plastic pollution is still a major issue for marine conservation efforts, experts say national single-use plastic policies have improved the coastal environment

The increase in the turtle population in Abu Dhabi shows the success of the emirate's conservation strategy, experts say

The quarantine area at Burj Al Arab Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

New beginnings

In Dubai, Jumeirah's Turtle Rehabilitation Project was launched 21 years ago and has since led to the release of more than 2,300 rescued turtles back into the wild.

Barbara Lang-Lenton, the project's director, told The National that her team had cared for more rescued turtles owing to greater awareness about who to call if an injured creature is seen.

She added that, for the first time this year, a juvenile loggerhead turtle was rescued off the coast of Dubai. This was significant because the turtle was too small to swim from nesting sites in Oman or Yemen, suggesting there could be an undiscovered nesting area in the Gulf.

Turtles are released at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Beach, as part of conservation efforts in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Improving picture

The increase in the turtle population in Abu Dhabi "stands as clear evidence of the success" of the emirate's conservation strategy, said Ahmed Al Hashmi, executive director of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector at the environment agency.

Dugongs have also been thriving in the emirate, with the population increasing by 20 per cent in the past 10 years. The data covered more than 3,500 dugongs and about 8,000 turtles.

Luxury tourism benefit

The projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai show the importance of public engagement for coastal and marine conservation.

Jumeirah’s model of luxury ecotourism in remote reserves emphasises that conservation can be an attraction. The tourism group is looking to replicate that model overseas.

Jumeirah Thanda Island in Tanzania has an immersive, exclusive-use villa. Photo: Jumeirah

Eight years ago, Dutch marine biologist Rianne Laan arrived on Thanda Island, Tanzania, for what she expected to be a three‑month posting. Today, she leads a thriving marine conservation programme at the island's Jumeirah property.

The island has officially been designated as a marine reserve since 2007, but illegal fishing, including the use of dynamite, had ravaged the coral and fish populations. When Ms Laan began documenting reef health, she found degraded coral, patchy fish life and little evidence of recovery.

But the reserve now shows signs of significant regeneration. “Guests who visited early on now return and say they see so much more fish,” she said.

The notable species to return include eagle rays, first seen at the island three years ago, while the number of turtle nests has increased from one in 2017 to four by 2023. “We don’t know how long they’d been absent,” Ms Laan says. “They were probably being poached.”

Money from tourism helps to fund park rangers, anti‑fishing patrols and scientific monitoring projects. The resort has also had a minimal impact on nearby reefs. Ms Laan said that, without luxury tourism, there would be "no infrastructure, no protection" for the island's marine life.