Naifaru Juvenile, a local non-government organization (NGO) hosts the fifth edition of Lhaviyani Turtle Festival on Saturday, August 27.
The one-day event held once each year observed brilliant turnout from different islands across the atoll this year.
Speaking about the initiative, Mohamed Ahmed the Vice Chairperson of Naifaru Juvenile said the festival aimed to raise public awareness towards environmental protection, waste management and safe disposal methods, as well as turtle preservation.
According to Ahmed, several other pro-environment NGOs had taken part in the event, while various marine biology organizations partnered with Naifaru Juvenile.
The event also included panel discussions, various stalls that provide information about marine biodiversity, preservation and other relevant subjects.
The turtle festival traces its origins to Naifaru Juvenile first establishing a turtle sanctuary named the 'Atoll Marine Center' back in 2012. The local NGO opened the sanctuary in response to many turtle hatchlings taken in as pets on local islands.
Since 2012, the Atoll Marine Center (AMC) has played an instrumental role in shifting cultural attitudes towards keeping turtles as pets. Apart from this, the center also works on rehabilitating turtles found injured or entangled.
This year's theme for the festival is "Our Ocean, Their Home, Your Future."
Apart from the main host of the festival, other partners include Reefscapers Maldives, Olive Ridley Project, Manta Trust, Clean Maldives, Coral Mission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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