TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Visitors are being urged to watch where they step on the beaches of southern Taiwan to avoid trespassing on the nesting grounds of green sea turtles, a protected species in the country.

The nesting season for the turtle is between May and October and Little Liuqiu and Taiping Island are the two major feeding areas for the animal in Taiwan. Little Liuqiu, or Liuqiu Island, is a coral island in the southwest of the main island of Taiwan and a habitat with a green turtle population of about 400 recorded in the surrounding waters annually, per the Ocean Conservation Administration.

Given Little Liuqiu is a tourist magnet, visitors are cautioned against disturbing the breeding creatures. Over the past years, vibrant tourism around the island has been accompanied by incidents where green turtles have been harassed, according to OCA.

People are advised to be particularly careful in seven favorite places for egg laying on Little Liuqiu. They are Haban Bay, Shanfu Ecological Walk, Duzaiping Intertidal Zone, Beauty Cave, Zhongao Beach, Yuchengwei Intertidal Zone, and Lobster Cave.

Those harassing or harming protected species will be subject to one-year imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of NT$300,000 (US$10,213), pursuant to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).

Hatchlings of the green sea turtle. (Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association photo)

Footprint of green sea turtles. (Taiwan Loo-Koo Yu Association photo)