Western Cape rangers come together to talk turtle
- Cape York NRM
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
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, which was 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.
Pormpuraaw Land & Sea Ranger Kiren Tarpencha said it was fantastic to hear feedback from each ranger group about the WCTTAA program.
‘’We’ve heard from other groups, how they're doing and how their programs run differently or similar to ours. At the end of the day, we're all doing the same job, but there’s a bit of difference between the groups,” Kiren 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, weeds and diseases.
“It was good to receive the award for just doing what we do and it’s built up our confidence, at that national level,” Bamaga-based Apudthama Land & Sea Ranger Christopher Lifu said.
Cape York NRM CEO Pip Schroor said Cape York NRM had supported the WCTTAA since 2013.
“We are enormously proud of the work we do with this program. The rangers’ dedication to turtle conservation and biosecurity is inspiring and we’re honoured to support their efforts,” Pip said.
Industry experts also shared their knowledge throughout the day, including Rio Tinto who presented on their well-established turtle monitoring program and announced plans to collaborate with WCTTAA. By adopting the same monitoring methods and data app, this partnership will ensure consistent data collection across all known turtle nesting beaches in the western Cape York region, providing more opportunities for ranger knowledge exchange.
The meeting concluded with discussions on the year ahead, highlighting the potential challenges, opportunities and achievements that 2025 may bring.
Mike Gregory from the Queensland Government’s Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program, who has been involved since the program’s inception, said it was amazing to see the meetings get bigger and better each year.
Dr Manuela Fischer said, ‘’I’m looking forward to another year working alongside the WCTTAA rangers, as we tackle challenges and continue improving our outcomes. Our strong partnerships and shared commitment to conservation are making a real difference in protecting marine turtles.''
WCTTAA is a formidable partnership of six indigenous land and sea owners and managers from the Northern Peninsula Area, Mapoon, Napranum, Pormpuraaw, Aurukun and Kowanyama, who work together for the protection of marine turtles from nest predation along the west coast of Cape York.
The WCTTAA is supported by Cape York NRM through funding from the Australian and Queensland Government’s Nest to Ocean Turtle Protection Program and the Queensland Government as part of the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative.
