This project will provide support and professional advice to five Community Sea Turtle Camps that focus their efforts in the rescue and preservation of the sea turtle in the Oaxaca coastline. We work with the local communities and people who were once eggs poachers and now have become the best guardians of the beaches. We also work with 6 elementary schools leading environmental education workshops to generate conservation actions to protect the sea turtles that arrive in their communities.
Despite its global importance of sea turtle reproduction, nest poaching is widespread around the coastline of Oaxaca. Local people and fishermen track the beaches at night for nesting turtles, and upon finding a nest; they immediately harvest all the eggs to sell at public markets. Nearly 85% of nests located by poachers are lost because of the lack of surveillance, environmental education and conservation knowledge. The sea turtle egg trade in Oaxaca is influenced by rural poverty and habits.
The most effective ways to protect the nesting beaches from turtle hunters and nest looters, is through the permanent presence of the Sea Turtle Community Camps, which voluntarily or receiving a small economic incentive, participate in the conservation of the species through night rounds along the nesting beaches. Also, environmental education with kids and community promoters who multiply these activities in schools, and support establishing community-base tourism micro businesses, helps a lot!
Our long-term impact will be to help 5 Sea Turtles Community Camps improve their knowledge and skills in biological management and data logging of sea turtles; equip them to develop all activities of night surveillance, monitoring and management of nesting females, nests and baby turtles; increase their income by doing ecotourism; have 6 elementary schools participate in the environmental education program and generate conservation actions to protect the sea turtles in their communities.
