Oman

Some steps taken to stop beach vandalism at Ras al Hadd: EA

Wooden pillars have been installed to prevent people from crossing to the beach
 
Wooden pillars have been installed to prevent people from crossing to the beach
Muscat: The Environment Authority (EA) has issued a statement on social media-circulated photographs of wooden pillars installed at the Turtle Reserve in Ras al Hadd.

As the Turtle Reserve in Ras al Hadd is a natural reserve declared under Royal Decree No 25/96, EA is committed to protecting its biodiversity

and take necessary measures in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

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EA has implemented several annual programs to protect and sustain this heritage, which is among the world's unique beaches and faces the threat of extinction.

Preventive measures include field surveys, awareness, and protection of nests for newborn turtles.



Among these programs is the Turtle Commando Program in which more than 255,000 stray turtles were returned to the sea, hundreds of mothers were saved while tonnes of waste and debris were collected during beach cleaning campaigns.

Around a thousand volunteers from the Sultanate were trained to become environmental ambassadors.

The wooden pillars have been installed to prevent people from crossing to the beach, especially vehicles, as part of the efforts to limit beach vandalism and destruction of turtle nests.

The beaches can be easily accessed by foot from the parking lots.

The Turtle Reserve is distinguished from other beaches by the presence of turtles and it is a tourist attraction that requires everyone’s cooperation.