The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over the weekend is calling for public support to protect the nesting site of a critically endangered leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in the coastal town of Sta. Ana in Cagayan province.

A female leatherback turtle recently laid eggs along the shoreline of Brgy. Centro in the said town, and then returned to the sea. The residents have secured the area with nets. The turtle’s carapace measured 200 centimeters long and 100 cm wide.

Environment chief Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga has ordered DENR Cagayan Valley Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan to ensure strict protection of the area by deploying personnel to monitor the nesting site of this marine resource on a 24-hour basis.

Loyzaga underscored the importance of leatherbacks and other sea turtles in maintaining healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, which are critical habitats for marine life and also help mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. The incident also coincided with World Oceans Day.

It can be recalled that during her visit to Sta. Ana in February this year, the DENR top official announced that a marine scientific research station will be established in the town where the Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape is located. The facility will strengthen the monitoring and protection of coastal and marine resources, including sea turtles.

“Sta. Ana is one of the six project sites in the country for the establishment of a marine scientific research station to enhance ocean science and resource management and development strategies. We would like this to be a center of knowledge, global best practice and education for all like-minded countries and communities,” the national environment top official earlier said. She commended the DENR leadership team of Region 2 for their vigilance and swift action.

She also explained that the DENR is collaborating with the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute to conduct studies that will be used to further enhance the government’s efforts on marine biodiversity conservation, climate action and disaster risk reduction.

Leatherback turtles are classified as critically endangered under the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The Philippines is home to five marine turtle species, and leatherback turtles are the largest. Adults typically weigh between 320 and 600 kilograms and lay around 60 to 120 eggs.

The DENR office in Aparri will closely monitor the nesting site for 75 days for hatchling emergence. It shall also conduct surveillance along nearby coasts to locate other potential nesting areas. The DENR is also notifying establishments and resorts adjacent to the nesting site to raise awareness and secure their cooperation in conservation efforts.