09/04/2025
Awesome work by all the Western Cape Land & Sea Rangers! Caring for Country and providing successful real-time outcomes for turtle conservation!
Key achievements celebrated at the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance's (WCTTAA) annual post-nesting season meeting included the removal of more than 4500 feral pigs and the monitoring of nearly 4000 turtle nests, which have helped keep nest predation rates below sustainable levels and increased turtle hatching success.
The meeting, hosted by Cape York NRM in Cairns in late March, brought together 50 representatives from six ranger groups and state and federal government agencies, along with other organisations, stakeholders and contractors committed to turtle conservation and feral pest management.
Cape York NRM’s WCTTAA coordinator Dr Manuela Fischer, who spends much of her time working in the field with the ranger groups, emphasised the importance of this annual gathering.
“We hold this meeting each year after the turtle nesting season on the Western Cape ends. It’s an opportunity to report findings, discuss challenges and solutions of each ranger group individually, and plan for the next season and future opportunities as an Alliance,” Dr Fischer said.
Marietta Matasia, who made history in 2023 by becoming the first female Ranger Coordinator for Nanum Wungthim Land & Sea Rangers, said the meeting was a fantastic way for everyone to share ideas and knowledge and celebrate their successes.
“We are always happy to share our ideas and learn from each other. Listening to the other groups and their on-ground experiences helps us work together on the issues and challenges that we all face, improve the way we do things and share our success stories,’’ Marietta said.
The achievements of the WCTTAA program were recognised at the 2024 Australian Biosecurity Awards where they received the inaugural First Nations Award for Excellence in Biosecurity. This honour highlights their outstanding contribution to Australian biosecurity and their exceptional commitment to improving the protection of Country and people from pests, w**ds and diseases.
The WCTTAA is supported by Cape York NRM through funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments’ Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program and the Queensland Government as part of the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative.
📷 Christine Howes for Cape York NRM
