Collaboration of Cape York's west coast Indigenous ranger groups successfully reducing turtle nest predation.
2B – biosecurity
The west coast of Cape York is a vital nesting area for threatened marine turtles, but widespread feral pig predation has led to severe declines in turtle recruitment, with nest losses reaching 70–100% in 2013—far exceeding the sustainable threshold of 30%.
In response, the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance (WCTTAA) was established in 2013, bringing together six Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger groups. WCTTAA conducts regular monitoring of nesting sites and predation levels, implements targeted pig control through both aerial and ground operations, and installs aluminium cages to safeguard turtle nests.
These combined efforts have successfully lowered predation rates below sustainable limits on many beaches. The monitoring program generates critical data on predation patterns and turtle nesting distribution by species, informing and strengthening long-term conservation strategies for vulnerable and endangered turtle populations.
