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It’s vital to
report both dead and living sightings, says Marine Conservation
Society
BRITISH beach walkers are
being urged to look out for stranded marine turtles over the
Christmas holidays after 3 rare specimens washed up dead on beaches
in Scotland and Wales during December.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) wants people to report any
turtles found on UK beaches immediately, whether dead or alive.
"It’s so important that people know what to do. Dead turtles can
be collected for important post-mortem examination, while live
turtles can be rescued from a chilly death as long as they are not
thrown back in the sea." ays Dr Peter Richardson, MCS
Biodiversity Programme Manager and turtle expert.
The first turtle to strand this month was a young Kemp’s ridley,
found dead at Baugh on the Isle of Tiree in Scotland’s Inner
Hebrides. The turtle was discovered after heavy storms in early
December.
Kemp’s ridleys are a warm water species, and the rarest of the
marine turtles. They are considered critically endangered, nesting
only on a few beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. While the occurrence of
Kemp’s ridleys in the UK is occasional, a recent recovery of the
world population has meant an increase in the number of young ones
stranding on UK shores. The Tiree turtle was only the 36th of this
species on record, but a few days later another young Kemp’s ridley
washed up dead on a beach at Llanon, Ceredigion, West Wales.
An even rarer UK encounter was also recorded in December when a dead
green turtle washed up in Newark Bay, on South Ronaldsay in the
Orkneys. Green turtles are considered endangered and are another
warm water species, occurring mostly in the tropics, although
nesting populations of this species are found in temperate Florida
and in the Eastern Mediterranean. The South Ronaldsay green turtle
is only the 10th green on record in the UK and Eire.
Dr Peter Richardson says these recent turtle strandings suggest
there may be more turtles out there that could wash up on UK beaches
over the Christmas holidays. "Our advice is that under no
circumstances should stranded turtles be thrown back in the sea.
While they may appear to be dead, they may in fact be comatose due
to the cold conditions, and can be nursed back to health if
immediately rescued and given expert care. If they are dead, it is
important that they are collected and stored for post-mortem
examination."
MCS has a produced a UK Turtle Code, which can be
downloaded and gives
information on how to identify turtle species found in the UK and
who to call if you find one.
In addition, all dead or alive
stranded turtles should be reported to Marine Environmental
Monitoring (MEM) on:- 01348 875000. MEM organises the rescue and
rehabilitation of live stranded turtles; collection and post-mortem
of dead animals and maintains a national database of turtle reports.
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Call for a WEEE bit of
recycling this Christmas
WHETHER it’s the latest must-have gadget for
the kids or a new gizmo for the kitchen, Christmas has seen a huge
surge in the number of small electrical goods bought for the home.
However three quarters of old electrical items such as MP3 players,
kettles, cameras and coffee makers will end up in landfill. While an
estimated 1.3 million electrical items will be thrown away in 2012.
A campaign was launched on Boxing Day (26 December 2011), that shows
the benefits of recycling and helps the public find their nearest
recycling point. The Government is backing the industry led
campaign and calling on people to recycle their old electronic
goods. Business Minister Mark Prisk said:- "At this time
of year more than ever, old unwanted electronics often get consigned
to the bin or the back of a cupboard. That’s why now is the right
time for a campaign, which reminds people about recycling their old
electrical and electronic equipment and shows them how easy it can
be. Whether it’s an old MP3 player, an unwanted set of hair
straighteners or even a broken novelty Christmas decoration, rather
than just leaving them in the cupboard or throwing them out, it’s
much better for everyone if you recycle them. That’s why the
Government is backing this industry led campaign. Recycling is not
only good for the environment, it’s safer too as harmful chemicals
aren’t sent to landfill. It also creates an opportunity for our
businesses to take advantage and create jobs and growth that are
both sustainable and environmentally friendly."
Recycling Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach said:- "The old
electricals we think are just destined for the scrap heap are packed
with precious materials and rare metals that are worth a fortune if
they are recycled properly. The amount of palladium we expect to be
chucked out over the next few years from old computers, tvs and
electrical alone could be worth more than £1billion. These are
resources that won’t last forever and we simply cannot afford to
waste them. I challenge everyone to make a new year’s resolution to
do the right thing with their old electricals and stop these
precious materials going to landfill."
The campaign centres around an advert shows how waste electrical and
electronic equipment (WEEE) diverted from landfill is sent for
recycling and eventually contribute to new products. It is hoped
that this WEEE recycling campaign will help prevent householders
from throwing small electrical items, such as kettles, hair dryers
and other smaller products, into their waste bins and help to ensure
that more waste electronic items are recycled in the future.
The advert will be aired nationwide, for a period of 4 weeks, and
advises the public to use WRAP’s Recycle Now site to find their
nearest recycling centre. Do you know where it is in your areas?
Email our newsroom to:-
news24@southportreporter.com if you don't and we
will let you know.
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