Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, and its joint ventures Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) and Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ), conducted a successful beach clean-up on Thursday at the Northern Beach in Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC).
A total of 250 volunteers from the three companies participated in the annual activity co-organised together with Qatar Petroleum’s Industrial Cities Directorate/Ras Laffan’s HSSE department. The beach clean-up aims to provide a clean and safe coastal environment ahead of the Hawksbill turtle nesting season.
Hawksbill turtles avoid deep waters, preferring coastlines where sponges are abundant and sandy nesting sites are within reach. Not particularly large compared with other sea turtles, hawksbills grow up to about 114cm in shell length and 68kg in weight. Their average estimated lifespan in the wild is between 30-50 years.
“Nakilat is committed to the preservation of Qatar’s natural environment as it strives to operate to the highest standards in a responsible manner through the shipping and shipyard business,” the company said in a statement on Sunday.
“The strong volunteer participation from across Nakilat entities bears testament to the importance it places on environmental care and to spread awareness amongst its employees.
“Marine life, especially the endangered Hawksbill turtles in the area, are vulnerable. As such, the beach clean-up is significant in creating a sustainable environment for them to live and breed in and preserving biodiversity for generations to come.
“This environmental initiative is part of Nakilat’s comprehensive corporate social responsibility framework, which also focuses on health, education and community initiatives.