Ranger groups on Cape York Peninsula are leading the way in tackling key threats to endangered marine turtles, with new data highlighting the scale and impact of their work.

More than 70 representatives from nine ranger groups, state and federal government agencies and other organisations committed to turtle conservation came together in Cairns for the annual meeting of the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance (WCTTAA) — the largest gathering in the program’s history.

The meeting, held in March and hosted by Cape York NRM, showcased how Indigenous ranger groups are combining on-ground action with long-term monitoring to improve turtle hatchling survival rates and better understand populations across remote nesting beaches.