On Saturday August 10, 2024, Timor Port released 150 sea turtles at Kaitehu, a strategic site with important nesting habitat, 40 km from Dili, Timor. The site, which includes monitoring, hatching and habitat restoration facilities, plays a crucial role in the preservation of sea turtle populations in this Asia-Pacific region.
The event, which was attended by government representatives, members of the Kaitehu community, students, local and international visitors and local NGOs, is part of Timor Port’s commitment to protecting marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems.
Since its launch in November 2022, the project has rescued 6,965 turtle eggs from 56 nests. 3,535 sea turtles of different species, including the hawksbill, loggerhead, green and olive ridley turtles, have been released back into their natural habitat.
Next steps for the project include continued monitoring of nesting sites, ongoing habitat improvement and enhanced public education efforts, to ensure the sustainable protection of sea turtles and their environment.
About Timor Port
The Port of Timor, the country’s first public-private partnership, will cost a total of 490 million dollars over a period of 30 years. The new port is located in the Bay of Tibar, 12 km from the capital Dili. It is equipped with some of the most modern handling equipment and operating software to enable the operation of container ships of more than 7,500 TEUs, achieving a level of productivity and performance worthy of the world’s largest ports. The Port of Timor’s ambition is to facilitate the country’s trade with the rest of the world, in particular with China, northern Australia and Asian countries, and to make Tibar a transhipment centre and a major maritime gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. In order to develop employment opportunities for all Timorese, Timor Port has put in place strategic plans and recruitment phases that will enable the growth of the project to increasingly benefit local employment.