Ascension : Conservation Weekly - By Susanna Musick
Submitted by The Islander (Conservation Office) 24.05.2007 (Article Archived on 07.06.2007)

Numbers of dead hatchlings on the rise - Local residents have raised concerns about the increasing numbers of dead hatchlings showing up on Georgetown’s roads.

As May is the peak month for hatchlings, the numbers of dead hatchlings has risen dramatically, with several being found at each lamppost every day. After returning one wayward hatchling to the beach Sunday evening, Conservation staff picked up 12 more going towards the lights near Deadman’s beach in a time span of 5 minutes. The lights of Georgetown may end up causing a negative impact on Ascension’s green turtle population over time. Given our responsibilities under the Environmental Charter, we are legally obligated to protect our turtle population. The Conservation Department has recognised the public’s concerns and requested that two lights (one at the end of the Queen’s Highway and one at the end of the road to Deadman’s Beach) be extinguished, however, this request was met with liability objections. Conservation staff members are currently looking for other ways of addressing the problem. In the interim, we are quantifying the numbers of dead hatchlings found in the evenings and attempting to return wayward hatchlings to the sea. If you are interested in helping or learning more about the turtles, we invite you to stop by the Conservation Centre. We appreciate your support for our efforts.