Northern Territory Government Department of Land Resource Management & INPEX: Rescued Hawksbill 'Linh'

A project of Northern Territory Government DLRM in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.

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Introduction

In March 2014, a turtle was rescued from a fishing vessel that was apprehended by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) near Evans Shoal, 250 km north of Darwin, NT.

The 35 kg adult female hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) was found alive on-board a foreign fishing vessel and taken to Animal Ark Hospital in Palmerston, NT for rehabilitation. While treating the turtle for an infection, Ark staff chose the name 'Linh', which means 'gentle spirit’ in Vietnamese.

During Linh's recovery, she was fitted with a satellite tag donated by INPEX, which will help provide insight into her movements and behaviour over the next few months. Rachel Groom, a Marine Wildlife Scientist from the NT Department of Land Resource Management, said that "the data from this tag will provide valuable information to the Arafura-Timor Sea Ghost Net study and also the NT turtle database. Unlike flatback turtles, hawksbill turtles don’t nest locally, so we are eager to see where she will nest."

After a short stay at the Ark, Linh was released by Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) scientists and Parks and Wildlife NT rangers at Nightcliff Jetty, Darwin.

Project Partners

INPEX is pleased to be able to increase the knowledge of hawksbill turtle movements in the Northern Australian marine region by donating a satellite tag and funding the data recovery.

The Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) works in partnership with the Northern Territory community to provide advice and support for the sustainable development of the NT’s land and water, and conservation of its unique native flora and fauna.