Hawksbill Turtles Begin Laying Eggs

Hawksbill turtles in the Persian Gulf have begun laying eggs on the coasts of Dayyer-Nakhilou Marine National Park in Bushehr Province. Every year at around this time, hawksbill turtles come to Ommolkorm and Nakhilou islands in the protected area to lay eggs, IRNA reported.  They dig holes around 80-centimeter deep in the sand where they bury their eggs. Each turtle lays between 90 and 110 eggs that hatch in 50 to 70 days. The newborn turtles then move toward the sea by instinct. "Fishing, leaving waste on the beach and collecting eggs for food are the main threats to these sea animals," said Najaf Jamshidi, director of the office of the Department of Environment in Bord Khun region of Bushehr.  Dayyer-Nakhilou is a 20,000-hectare marine national park also known as "Birds' Paradise".  The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the hawksbill as critically endangered. The species has also been listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which outlaws the capture and trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them.