Ministry of Environment kicks off 2025 Sea Turtle Nesting Season at Fuwairit Beach

Published: 20 April 2025

 Qatar News Agency

Doha

The Ministry of Envi­ronment and Climate Change (MoECC) official­ly launched the 2025 Sea Turtle Nesting Season on Saturday at Fuwairit Beach, in the presence of HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Abdul­lah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie.

This initiative comes as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to protect Qatar’s wildlife and preserve biodiversity – particu­larly endangered species such as the hawksbill sea turtle.

In a statement, Undersecre­tary of the Ministry, H E Eng. Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Mah­moud, reaffirmed the Minis­try’s commitment to safeguard­ing marine species, especially hawksbill turtle, which he de­scribed as an essential environ­mental asset and a key indicator of marine ecosystems.

He highlighted that this na­tional project, now in its third decade, resulted in the success­ful release of tens of thousands of hatchlings into their natural habitat – significantly contribut­ing to the restoration of Qatar’s marine life.

Al Mahmoud noted recent advancements in the project, including improved incubation techniques and on-site care over­seen by specialized researchers, which have led to high survival rates for the hatchlings.

Assistant Undersecretary for Nature Reserves, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Latif Al Musallamani, stated that this year’s nesting season reflects the Ministry’s commitment to creating safe, clean environments for turtles. He explained that hawksbill tur­tles return annually to Qatar’s northern beaches – including Fuwairit, Ras Laffan, Al Ghari­yah, and Al Huwailah – as well as several islands such as Umm Tais, Ras Rakan, Shura’awa, and Halul.

He added that nesting season runs from early April to late June, with hatchlings emerging about two months after eggs are laid. He also highlighted the im­portance of the beach clean-up campaign conducted in partner­ship with Qatar University, call­ing it a vital step toward preserv­ing biodiversity and improving nesting conditions.

Al Musallamani noted that the Ministry held coordination meetings with relevant entities and formed field teams to carry out inspections across beaches and islands, track nesting activ­ity, document hatching phases, and collect scientific data such as egg counts and turtle weights, in addition to tagging and envi­ronmental monitoring.