Official Ban on Visits to Al-Azizi Island During Turtle Nesting Season

In a step aimed at strengthening marine life protection in the Gulf of Aden, the Ruaa Centre for Strategic Studies, Consultations, and Training met with the local authority in Al-Buraiqah District to discuss mechanisms for enhancing the protection of Al-Azizi Island during the sea turtle nesting season, which extends annually from January through the end of April.

The meeting brought together the Head of Ruaa Centre, Dr. Jaklin Mansour Al-Battani, and the representative of the Al-Buraiqah local authority, Mr. Hani Hussein, with the participation of the Director of the General Authority for Environmental Protection branch in Aden, Eng. Niazi Mustafa, the branch consultant Eng. Mohammed Abdullah Saad, and Dr. Jamal Bawazir, Head of the Environmental Protection Unit at Ruaa Centre.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to renew and issue an official circular prohibiting tourism activities and both daytime and nighttime visits to Al-Azizi Island throughout the nesting season, in order to minimize disturbances to sea turtles and their nests and ensure a safe environment for egg-laying and reproduction of this endangered species.

Discussions also addressed mechanisms to strengthen field monitoring and enhance coordination between local and environmental authorities to ensure compliance with the circular and the effective implementation of protection measures, thereby preserving the island as an environmentally sensitive and important biodiversity site.

Dr. Jaklin Al-Battani emphasized that protecting Al-Azizi Island is a collective responsibility requiring the commitment of all stakeholders and citizens, noting that banning visits during the nesting season represents a crucial step toward the success of the “Save the Sea Turtles of the Gulf of Aden” project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Small Grants Programme (SGP), and toward ensuring the sustainability of marine life in the region for future generations.

She further stressed that this measure forms part of ongoing efforts to protect Aden’s environmental resources and transform Al-Azizi Island into a national model for managing environmentally sensitive natural sites.