WWF-UK: Global voyager visits NI shores

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Global voyager visits NI shores

A leatherback turtle, one of the world's most iconic and endangered marine species, paid a visit to the shores of County Down this week. There were sightings of the turtle in Strangford Narrows and as far up the Lough as Kircubbin.
This is a very unusual sighting. Leatherbacks can travel extensively across the Atlantic but their routes tend to be unique to each turtle rather than clustered in distinct migration corridors.

In order to tackle bycatch, turtles being caught unnecessarily in fishing lines and nets, WWF has embarked on a programme to monitor the movements of leatherback turtles in the Atlantic Ocean. It is hoped that the more knowledge we have about the movements of these turtles, the easier it will become to protect them.