Assessing the Impacts of Hatcheries on Green Turtle Hatchlings

This study provides experimental evidence from Sri Lanka supporting the importance of releasing hatchlings immediately after emergence. Hatcheries may be somewhat resistant to the idea of adjusting their ecotourism policies to maximize hatchling survival upon release, as this would mean that the collection and release of hatchlings should take place in the dark, which may be less appealing for tourists. However, it is possible to combine tourism and conservation, following best practice guidelines (IUCN 2005), which recommend releasing at least 90% of the hatchlings from each nest immediately after emergence, and holding the remaining hatchlings as a tourist attraction. In this way, Sri Lankan, and turtle hatcheries worldwide, would be able to improve their contribution to sea turtle conservation whilst maintaining much needed tourist revenue

Using GPS-enabled decoy turtle eggs to track illegal trade

The insatiable human appetite for wildlife products drives species to extinction, spreads disease and has negative consequences for the economies of source countries. As a major transnational enterprise, illegal wildlife trade is valued between eight and 26.5 billion US dollars annually. Because law enforcement is often only reactive, information on trafficking routes is key to disrupting trade and curtailing wildlife crime. In our efforts to uncover trade routes of trafficked sea turtle eggs, we developed and field-tested the InvestEGGator, a 3D-printed decoy turtle egg embedded with a GPS–GSM transmitter (Supplemental Information). Illegally collected clutches of turtle eggs containing a decoy transmitter enabled us to track the movements of traffickers, and thus gain a better understanding of illegal trade routes. The decoys, set to emit a signal once an hour, provided five tracks, the most detailed of which identified an entire trade chain, covering 137 km. Using data provided by the decoys, we identified trafficking routes and on two occasions properties of potential interest to law enforcement. Decoys also yielded anecdotal information, furthering our understanding of trafficking routes

Illegal take of nesting sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica: Conservation, trade, or tradition?

Tortuguero, Costa Rica is considered the second largest green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookery in the world. By 1950, Tortuguero was one of the sites with the greatest take of green turtles in the Caribbean. Currently, Tortuguero is a worldwide example for ecotourism-based on sea turtle conservation. However, illegal take of nesting turtles still occurs. We aimed to describe the illegal take at Tortuguero, estimating the minimum number of sea turtles taken using data collected during daily and weekly track surveys from 2005 to 2021. Additionally, we conducted 12 semi-structured interviews with key informants to obtain a better understanding of this activity. We documented 735 nesting turtles illegally taken at Tortuguero, being the green turtle the most affected species; these findings were also supported by our interviewees. Respondents stated that in Tortuguero the take of sea turtles has always occurred and traditions regarding sea turtle meat consumption are still present, even though it is considered shameful in the village. However, our interviewees affirmed that most of the sea turtles taken are traded to other locations away from Tortuguero. Our findings represent the minimum of illegal take (documented only at the beach), as not all the sea turtles taken were observed. Finally, despite long-standing conservation efforts carried out in Tortuguero, further changes in the National Park's management plans are needed, including more personnel and increased law enforcement. This may be necessary to reduce the impact on the Tortuguero green turtle nesting population in the near future

Marine turtle mortality in a southern Caribbean artisanal fishery: a threat for immature green turtles

The impact of artisanal fisheries on marine turtle populations is still understudied in the southern Caribbean. In the Venezuelan Guajira Peninsula, artisanal fishing of marine turtles by the indigenous Wayuú people has occurred for generations. Nevertheless, understanding the issues regarding turtle take is challenging. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were carried out at eight landing sites located in three different zones in Kazuzain village, Middle Guajira. Carapaces or plastrons were recorded to estimate take level, and measured to determine life stage. Minimum take was 167 marine turtles over 53 weeks, or 3.15 turtles/week on average (estimated 163.8/yr). Most records encountered were from green turtles (n=154; 92.2%), and the majority of these were immature (n=76; 89.4%). Key-informants reported that marine turtles were not the target catch. However, most interviewees affirmed that take of marine turtles in Kazuzain is not only for traditional purposes, but also to meet economic shortfalls. They also stated that trade of marine turtles has increased over the last ten years due to the Venezuelan economic crisis. This is the first assessment of marine turtle take in this village and fills an information gap that can aid resource managers to mitigate the impacts of take, and develop potential conservation solutions for marine turtle aggregations and the people that depend on them