On 10 June 2010 representatives of Western Province Treaty communities met in Daru, Papua New Guinea to discuss a Sea Turtle and Dugong Awareness Program to be developed by Sea Turtle Foundation.

The workshop was facilitated by Sea Turtle Foundation with support from the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility, a component of the Australian Government’s Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Also present were representatives from The PNG Dept of Environment and Conservation and the PNG Government’s Fisheries Division.

Discussions were robust and community representatives proved to be well informed of the issues. They are greatly concerned at falling sea turtle and dugong populations and wish to have an active role in ensuring that there are sea turtles and dugongs in the Torres Strait region for many generations to come.

Sea Turtle Foundation will use the information from the workshop to develop an Awareness Program for adults and school children. Sea Turtle Foundation will deliver the program in all of the communities prescribed under the Torres Strait Treaty that form the northern border of the Torres Strait.

Businesses and organisations wishing to support this project can find out more information here.

You can make a difference. Your donation will take the message into schools and communities, please click here.

Download the workshop report here.

See photos from the workshop and Daru here.

Read a media release regarding the workshop here (dated 25 June 2010).