A total of 20 turtle-friendly LED lights have been installed along Hosang Street in Grande Riviere.

In a release, Hadco said the area's Nature Tour Guides Association, members of the community and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) made this possible.

It said the initiative is part of ongoing efforts by the National Sea Turtle Task Force "to ensure the long-term protection and enhancement of the quality of life experienced by the leatherback turtles which visit our shores annually."

It said discussions on the "deleterious effect" of the previous streetlights began in April 2022.

"Specifically, their nesting patterns were being disturbed by the light pollution from the light waves of regular streetlight units, causing the turtles to become disoriented or lost inland, when seeking darker areas to lay their eggs. As such, stakeholder engagement was conducted to explore potential mitigation measures."

[caption id="attachment_1020737" align="alignnone" width="768"] SAFE LIGHTS: Under the glare of red, non-disorienting lights, a leatherback turtle lays eggs at the Grande Riviere beach. The lights were installed recently thanks to a partnership between the HADCO Group, the EMA and the Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guides Association. PHOTO COURTESY THE HADCO GROUP -[/caption]

The new lights, which have a red glow to the human eye, has a wavelength invisible to turtles, the release said.

"The importance of conservation measures cannot be overstated, and it is imperative that both public and private sector stakeholders work together to ensure that we do what is necessary to protect and preserve the vulnerable species in our environment."

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