Read also: Ten turtally awesome facts in celebration of World Sea Turtle Day
Thirty sea turtles were returned to their natural habitat in Dubai on Wednesday to mark World Sea Turtle Day, including one 65kg Loggerhead turtle.
The reptiles were cleared for release into Dubai's waters by marine biologists at the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Programme, after a lengthy recovery period, during which they received regular check-ups and medical care when necessary.
Some were cold-stunned by continued exposure to chilly waters during winter, while others had eaten plastic or sustained injuries requiring surgery.
It is imperative that we continue to rehabilitate and protect these turtles
All were rehabilitated in the safety of the Turtle Lagoon at Jumeirah Al Naseem, before being released off the beach near the hotel, said Barbara Lang-Lenton, director of aquarium at the Burj Al Arab hotel.
“We follow a well-organised process, encompassing critical care, followed by time spent in a state-of-the-art, sea-fed lagoon, where the animals can reacquaint themselves with the marine environment they are used to, prior to release,” she said.
World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated on June 16 each year by conservationists around the world to highlight the importance of the reptiles in the marine ecosystem, and their endangered status.
Six of the world's seven species of sea turtle are threatened with extinction caused by loss of habitat, poaching and pollution.
The hawksbill turtle, which is native to the Middle East, is listed as critically endangered after an 87 per cent decline in population over the past three decades. There are now estimated to be only 8,000 nesting females left worldwide.
The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Programme at Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts seeks to reverse the decline of the species in the emirate's waters, and has rescued and rehabilitated almost 2,000 sea turtles since it was established in 2004.
Ms Lang-Lenton said the efforts of the programme help to protect the UAE's natural ecosystem, as outlined in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's plan of action for the conservation of marine turtles in the emirates.
"The hawksbills, in particular, play an irreplaceable role within the wider coral reef health," she said.
"It is imperative that we continue to rehabilitate and protect these turtles, especially as they are faced with increasing threats to their nests, juveniles and adults, causing rapidly declining numbers.”
The hotel group also has a turtle rescue project in Abu Dhabi at its Saadiyat Island resort.
Since it opened in 2018, the programme has protected turtle nests and helped more than 700 hatchlings make their way to sea.
The team also assisted with the rehabilitation and release of 250 juvenile hawksbill turtles.
In pictures: Sharjah sheikh rescues 'Farah' the turtle
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
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