73 sea turtles hatched at China-built port expansion project in Ghana

A total of 73 sea turtles were hatched at a Chinese-built port project in Ghana's Tema on Wednesday, China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) announced.

A sea turtle.[File Photo: IC]

The CHEC, a contractor of the Tema port expansion project where a major sea turtle hatching ground of West Africa is located, built a sea turtle hatchery in late 2017 in a bid to protect the vulnerable species.

The hatchery is situated in a quiet sandy beach with a conservation team on a 24-hour tour around to ensure the construction work had little effect on the sea turtles, which are quite sensitive to noise and artificial lights.

According to CHEC, they have signed an agreement with the Ghana Wildlife Society to have more professionals to instruct their protection work. Besides, they have also invited six local villagers to assist them in the sea turtle conservation.

"It is good to see a Chinese company doing its best to protect local animals," said Ebenezer Martey Doku, a Ghanaian supervisor on the project, adding that the conservation work has yielded positive results.

The Tema port is the largest port in Ghana, and it is heading to become a modern port in West Africa as the expansion project is coming to an end.