95 turtle eggs found as Tayabas Bay nesting season starts early

LUCENA CITY — The sea turtle nesting season began early in the coastal town of Sariaya, Quezon, with 95 eggs collected Friday morning along the shores of Tayabas Bay.

Edwin Frias, a deputized “bantay dagat (fish warden) member, said the eggs were found along the shoreline of Barangay Bignay 2 at around 5 a.m.

“This is only the start of the nesting season,” Frias told the Inquirer in an online interview. 

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READ: DENR steps up protection of sea turtle nesting sites in Aurora

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He said two nesting sites have already been prepared in the coastal villages of Bignay 2 and Guisguis 2.

“Last year, more than 2,000 sea turtle hatchlings were released back into Tayabas Bay during the nesting season,” Frias said.

Marine turtles, including the Olive Ridley Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), lay their eggs along the shores of Tayabas Bay, with nesting activity generally occurring from October to December.

The eggs typically hatch after an incubation period of about 45 to 60 days.

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Local fishermen, pawikan conservation volunteers, and government agencies protect the hatchlings at designated nesting sites.  

Tayabas Bay stretches from San Juan, Batangas. It crosses several coastal towns in Quezon, including Sariaya, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Unisan, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, and San Francisco, and Lucena City.

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Sea turtles are classified under various threatened categories by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Switzerland-based global conservation organization.

In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9147 (the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) , covers their protection./coa