Yuku Baja Muliku  recognised a need for a rehabilitation centre after Cyclone Yasi severely impacted the turtle feeding grounds off Archer Point and surrounding areas in 2011. The emerging sea grass was nearly wiped out which caused the local turtle population severe stress. Thus, they took it upon themselves to establish a rehabilitation centre at Archer Point. Caring for the turtles was a full time job for the rangers and at times, the rangers would respond to calls regarding sick and injured turtles multiple times a week.

Our priority is to make the Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre fully functioning with a long term secure funding base. The Yuku Baja Muliku Rangers are currently supporting the Archer Point Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in house, through their own personal contributions, subsidies through their ranger program and some small donations. It costs approximately $100.00-150.00 per turtle, per week to feed a turtle at the rehabilitation centre. Money that is donated assists the rangers to improve the facilities, pay for food for the turtles and assists with veterinary costs.

Turtle and dugong play a significant part in Indigenous culture and the right to hunt is seen as an assertion of cultural identity. The animals also hold a high economic value to communities, because they provide food in substitute for meat which is often expensive to obtain. However, the Yuku Baja Muliku people have established a moratorium to prevent hunting, while they research the stability of turtles in the area. If the numbers become stable the rangers would like to train the community in sustainable harvesting practices.

More and more turtles are being reported by tourists and local fisherman as either dead or in serious need of rescue, due to starvation and malnourishment.