Turtle project wins national biosecurity award
- Cape York NRM
- Nov 28, 2024
- 2 min read
Cape York’s Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance (WCTTAA) has won a national biosecurity award. The inaugural ‘First Nations Award for Excellence in Biosecurity’ was accepted by Cape York NRM’s WCTTAA Coordinator Dr Manuela Fischer and Napranum Ranger Shalika Wapau when it was presented by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at the 2024 Biosecurity Awards ceremony in Canberra in November 2024.
The award was for the WCTTAA’s outstanding contribution to Australian biosecurity and exceptional commitment to improving the protection of Country and people from pests, weeds and diseases. The project was nominated by National Feral Pig Management Coordinator Dr Heather Channon.
“I was delighted to nominate the WCTTAA for this award and am thrilled that their significant achievements have been acknowledged in this way by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,” she said.
“Winning the inaugural Award is a wonderful recognition of the work being done by the six Indigenous Ranger groups to protect endangered and threatened marine turtle species from feral pig predation along 800 km of Western Cape York beaches.”
The primary focus of the WCTTAA program is to mitigate turtle nest predation through several initiatives, such as aerial and on-ground pig control methods and the installation of protection cages over nests. The WCTTAA’s success was indicated by the increase in hatching rates across Western Cape York through a combination of protection efforts and long-term control strategies alongside the involvement of local communities.
Dr Fischer said she was humbled and honoured to receive such a respected award on behalf of the WCTTAA.
‘’It was a fantastic ceremony featuring so many other interesting and impactful projects and initiatives. The WCTTAA can be very proud of its achievements and I know that its success will continue,” she said.
Ms Wapau said she loved looking after her Country.
“For me, it was an experience of a lifetime, coming to Canberra for this award meant a lot to me, it has shown me that hard work really does pay off.”
“The best thing about being a Ranger is you get to come out on country, you get to
work alongside TOs and different people from different work areas.
“You get to go out and see turtles come up and lay, hatch, jump on the chopper – even the training bits are fun, especially the four-wheel driving.
“I like working with my team and I come to work every day because I love it,” she said.
The WCTTAA was established in 2013 after 100 per cent nest predation by feral pigs and other predators was recorded on some western Cape York beaches. The Alliance consists of Indigenous land and sea owners and managers from Apudthama Land Trust and the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Aak Puul Ngantam (APN) Aurukun and Kowanyama supported by Cape York NRM.
The WCTTAA is supported by Cape York NRM through funding from the Australian and Queensland Government’s Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program, and Nest Protection Program and the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative.
