The Ministry of Municipality and Environment has announced the reopening of Fuwairit beach for the public starting August 1, after the end of the 2017 nesting season of the endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle. According to the Ministry, the 2017 Hawksbill Sea Turtle nesting season witnessed remarkable success and significant increase in the number of nests, compared to the previous season, with a total of 52 nests and a hatching rate that exceeded 80%. Over 3,000 new turtles have been released to the sea during the 2017 season. In addition the research team at the Hawksbill Sea Turtle protection programme have gained significant practical experience benefiting from the participation and supervision of specialists from the Centre for Environmental Sciences at Qatar University.