World Turtle Day is held on May 23 each year and is celebrated throughout the world. It was started in 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue (www.tortoise.com). Its objective is to bring attention and increase knowledge and respect for turtles and tortoises and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.

The government of the UAE works to protect wildlife and its sustainability in order to achieve the National Biodiversity Strategy through continuous coordination with all stakeholders. The event was held to coincide with World Turtle Day and is part of Sharjah Museum Department?s to release Hawksbill Turtles an endangered species under ?Because We Care? social responsibility initiative in educating the public about the need to act as custodians of our ocean.

Group of endangered turtles were released into the ocean on Monday after being rehabilitated by marine biologists at Sharjah Aquarium.The five adult and juvenile hawksbill turtles were reintroduced into the wild at the Natural Reserve at Al Hamriya Beach in Sharjah.Sharjah Museums Department is reaching out to the community to spread awareness of the need to ensure a sustainable future for precious marine resources. Through the aquarium?s diverse portfolio of events, as well as the work of biologists to rehabilitate sea creatures, steps are being taken to preserve our ocean for future generations.

The hawksbill is one of the smaller sea turtles, and is named for its narrow head and hawk-like beak. Despite international conventions prohibiting the hunting and trading of sea turtles, hawksbills have suffered an 80 per cent global loss of population in just three generations. Their existence is threatened by coastal development, climate change, egg harvesting at nesting beaches, pollution, and through being caught accidentally in fisheries. Many sustain injuries to their fins caused by fishing boat propellers. The hawksbills can last for 80-100 years if they live in the right environment.

The turtles released were originally spotted by members of the public, who noticed they were suffering from critical injuries and took them to Sharjah Aquarium. Turtles are sometimes hit by boats or trapped in nets that are long left, sometimes they eat plastic bags thinking its jelly fish where they cannot swim properly. The Aquarium has been running a rehabilitation programme for the past six years to rescue and care for sick and injured hawksbill and green turtles, and release them back into the wild.

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