Nov
2
Written by:
frank zindel
02.11.2009
November 2, 2009 - Joana Hancock
November has come and turtles are virtually gone from Boavista having embarked in new adventures in their long return to their feeding grounds. On sighs with relief thinking that for now, for the next couple of years, these turtles are safe from the poachers, that they can finally roam the ocean freely, away from the pressures and tiring conditions they face on their nesting beaches. But will they? You can not stop and wonder when you are with your last turtle of the season, that 2 years in the open ocean is a lot of time for a lot of things to happen. Will she return? Will she survive? Let’s face it, with the impact of bycatch and more recently, plastic, she is in even bigger trouble now that she leaves protected beaches to swim into the ocean! Still, my hopes remain that I will see her again.
But let’s return to the situation in Boavista. This year, according to estimates from Natura2000, about 220 turtles were slaughtered in the beaches of Boavista. This number, while seeming extremely positive comparing to the overwhelming count of 1,100 females slaughtered in 2007 (the year before Turtle Foundation started its project in Boavista), it’s still frightening, and in my opinion, an underestimate of the real situation. Often during the season, locals reported cars loaded with turtles alive or already dead, leaving from less protected beaches throughout the season. The slaughtering spots still remain unknown, but we are possibly talking about dozens of animals.
On a personal note, my father asked me the other day on the phone if I was returning to Boavista next year, to which I replied that I'd like to do so. I was surprised to hear an angered voice on the other side. I’m used to my parents not accepting my lifestyle, which invariably results on acute lack of sleep, a couple of nervous breakdowns a year, living in sub-optimal conditions, and living of a low salary. But they're used to it now, and kind of accept it. So I confronted him about why this attitude, to which he replied with sadness that I am a biologist, that I should be doing research, not driving soldiers, feeding volunteers and writing and supervising work schedules. True, that is about 80% of my work here. But is it really? What is the meaning of our work, me, Christian, and Julio, soldiers and volunteers, this great Turtle Foundation team? We ensure that each night, there is a dedicated team on each beach, with the sole purpose of protecting the turtles from brutal slaughtering, to give them a chance to keep returning to the beach and ensure the survival of the population.
The work that the teams do in the beaches are crucial. No doubt that this season we had a team of exceptional volunteers, who stood up to all these things, and made a difference. Every night, they gave all they can to do their best to protect as many turtles as possible. Sleepless nights, exposed to wind, rain, mosquitoes; bad food and uncomfortable living conditions. Bad water and stomach problems. Yet, they faced poachers and their sharp knifes; faced the possibility of finding a freshly slaughtered turtle, or even worse, a turtle dying from inflicted injuries. Volunteers in Boavista, Sal, and so many other places in the world. I mean, how many people in the world would take their time and money to walk along with armed soldiers, where everything is at stake, where each patrol is a game that you either win, or lose.
What does it mean when we lose?
When one considers that this population is distinct from any other one in the world, and the 3rd most important, we have to stop and think exactly what 220 turtles mean. Each one of these turtles will nest on average of 5 times during the season, inputting an average of 80 eggs in each nest. Natural success rate of these nests is low, seldom rising above 40-60%. Once these nests hatch, there is a slim chance that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings survive to adulthood, having to face all the dangers at sea, from predators to plastic, from fishing nets to poacher at sea, for at least 35 years until they finally risk their lives to nest in the beaches of Cape Verde. The odds don't seem good for these ancient creatures of the sea. Nesting females, each one of them, are crucial to ensure the survival of the population. The killing of these 220 turtles represent up to the loss of 88 000 potential hatchlings, or 88 turtles to survive to adulthood given the "optimistic" estimate of survivorship of 1:1000. If the current killing continues, in just under 30 years the population can only collapse. This is urgent!
So I tell my dad, that this is not about research, this is not about being happy with a stable job and salary. It’s about closing the season thinking that it could have been much worse and that next year it will be even better. That in maybe a few years time, the people of Boavista itself will take the initiative to stand up for the turtles and take pride in the magnificent treasure that they have in their islands. It’s about thinking that for 6 months, I have made an impact in the planet, on the turtles, that I took the responsibility as a human being, to care about what our future will look like in 35 years time. Then, if there are still turtles left, I might still patrol the beaches if I can, but that in any case, me and whoever joined me in this cause will ensure that the next generations may witness the beauty of a nesting turtle crawling out of water up the beach, and leave a new nest, a new hope for this truly special Cape Verdian sea turtle population.
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