Plan hatched to help boost population of Murray River native turtles

ABC NEWS (Australia)

River Murray native freshwater turtles have been in significant decline for decades, recording population losses of up to 91 per cent. Environmental experts in South Australia are hoping to reverse that trend by developing the state's first turtle management strategy.

Transcript

00:00These researchers are waiting out to catch native freshwater turtles.

00:08But sights are rare.

00:12One in three Australian freshwater turtles is threatened with extinction,

00:16and the three species that we have here in the Lower Murray,

00:19the broad-shelled turtle, the eastern long-neck and the Murray River turtle,

00:23are all threatened in various parts of their range.

00:27Turtles are known as the vacuum cleaners of rivers.

00:32Experts are developing South Australia's first turtle management strategy

00:37to share knowledge and a plan to conserve the much-needed reptiles.

00:42They're really important in terms of ecosystem function,

00:46in that they eat carrion, the dead things that are in the water,

00:49and they play a really big part in maintaining water quality.

00:53The biggest threats are habitat loss, river regulation, drought and predation.

01:00In some places 100% of their nests get dug out by foxes,

01:03and that means the young ones just aren't getting in the system.

01:06Dogs are the latest recruits to help people protect turtle eggs from foxes.

01:12They are trained to sniff out nests.

01:15The dog's sense of smell is anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than our sense of smell.

01:21While turtles play an important role in protecting Australia's waterways,

01:26they're also culturally significant for First Nations people.

01:30They are in our dreaming. They are our knowledge keepers.

01:34They are our scientists, our environmentalists.

01:38They are everything in culture.

01:41Walk to the other one and check the other one.

01:44Lucy Sumner is part of a team raising awareness about turtle conservation.

01:49It's important that we keep their wetland and any area that they inhabit.

01:56Come back in now.

01:58Also, you know, just to be wary about them.

02:00And if they see one, if it needs help, help it.

02:05It's an eye-opening experience for these students.

02:09Searching for nests and finding out how to protect turtles.

02:14It makes me want to go out there and help because knowing that you can find turtle eggs and help protect them, it's really good.

02:23Banding together to develop future custodians of native reptiles.

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