Rhinos can be relocated, marine turtles can’t
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There is a story in the latest edition of “Geo” about a private donor who has offered 5.5 million Euros (approx. 8.7 million dollars) so that 50 rhinos can be relocated from South Africa to the Serengeti. This generous gesture is undoubtedly an important contribution towards the survival of this endangered species. Imagine how much more difficult it is to protect and conserve marine turtles. Even if such generous donations were made available to us, we would not be able to relocate the turtles. As female turtles always return to the beach on which they were born, all we can do is try to defend their nesting beaches, and protect the areas in which they feed and through which they travel. On the other hand, with just a tiny fraction of such a generous donation, a section of beach could be protected in the world’s 3rd largest nesting site of the endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle, in Cape Verde, Africa.
The project on Cape Verde: Another massacre must be prevented
Thanks to several press releases of ours to various journals over the last few months, it is no secret anymore that action must be taken immediately to protect the nesting beaches of Cape Verde. Female turtles are killed for their meat as they come ashore at night to lay eggs. The extent of the slaughter is estimated to be 10% of the entire breeding population each year. More than 1,000 turtles were killed last year. The turtles sell for between 30 and 300 Euros ($45 - $450). All this in a poor country with virtually no functioning environmental protection policy. Without intervention, the extinction of this population of sea turtles in imminent.
What we have accomplished so far: In two visits, the TURTLE FOUNDATION has built contacts with various partners and stakeholders to design a beach protection program. Private individuals, people working in the tourism sector, government agencies and representatives supporting conservation measures, together have joined an alliance to support the TURTLE FOUNDATION’s proposal to construct and maintain a beach camp on the island of Boavista, where most of the area’s Loggerhead turtles nest. The protected area would encompass 10 km of beach. The plans for the camp and all the associated logistics, from the supply of drinking water to committed and vigorous support from the military) have been established. And perhaps most importantly, all the relevant official governmental departments support and welcome our project! They know the turtles need protection, they just need some help to accomplish it.
Volunteers are available, large and small sponsors are lacking
What is missing, however, is what made the rhino project of the Serengeti possible, thanks to the donation of a major sponsor. We are missing only the necessary financial resources to be able to start immediately. Finding volunteers, which will be a large part of the team, has been comparably easy. We receive almost daily applications from volunteers who wish to help protect the endangered marine turtles. They ask only when the camp will be ready.
To make the beach protection camp possible for this current nesting season, beginning in June, we will continue to do try whatever we can to collect – with the help of donors and supporters of the TURTLE FOUNDATION - the necessary 150,000 Euros ($237,000) for the construction of the camp and the operation of the protection program for the first year. You can help to achieve this goal!
It's worth it - Example Borneo: By being persistent much can be achieved!
That determination and toughness pays off, particularly on difficult terrain, is demonstrated by our project on Sangalaki, off the east coast of Borneo. It took an initial period of 6 years and a lot of diplomacy, patience, hard work, and some begging for donations - but now we have two additional islands with important nesting sites under the TURTLE FOUNDATION’s protection. The entire coastline of the islands of Mataha and Bilangbilangan is now being guarded around the clock by our rangers together with staff of the Nature Protection Agency. Besides the pure protection work, the organizational tasks to supply three islands have increased massively: fresh water must be brought by boat from the main island of Borneo. A functioning communication system via radio and satellite phones require further investment but are essential. However, the people who profit from the illegal trade of turtle eggs are not giving up easily. Some of our local employees on the nearby island of Derawan have been the targets of threats and even some violence, which has been very alarming. These dedicated conservationists, who tirelessly work to conserve the natural heritage of their diverse marine ecosystems, in particular the marine turtles, have earned our highest respect for their courage and determination.
Good news
Every now and then we receive surprising news. It was only recently that on Sangalaki a Green sea turtle nest (Chelonia mydas) was discovered that held 219(!) eggs. Usually, a nest contains about just one hundred eggs. The nest had to be relocated to the hatchery because it was built too close to the tide line. This was news that made us smile.
Even happier surprising news: the captain of the Chinese trawler on which almost 400 dead marine turtles were discovered about a year ago went behind bars for 4 years together with another crew member. A court in Tarakan, Indonesia, found the two guilty!!!
In this context, the big question is, of course, how foreign vessels manage to regularly catch large numbers of marine turtles in Indonesian waters. "Without local support this is not possible," we hear again and again. That clearly shows us how important regular patrolling by boat around the Berau Islands would be. The area is just too big and the local authorities are simply not able to fulfil such tasks on their own. We hope that we will be able to expand our activities to patrolling in this area in the future. Because – be it for China or for Bali - the trade has been reduced, but it is still a long way to a complete halt.
Whether for the rhino or the sea turtle: there is still much to do and time is pressing, because extinction is forever!
Please help!
TURTLE FOUNDATION