Decline in turtles threatening jobs

GLAND, Switzerland – A global decline in sea turtle populations is threatening jobs, tourism and coastal economies, particularly in developing countries, the environment group WWF said on Tuesday.

“Sea turtles are worth more to local communities alive than dead,” said Carlos Drews, the World Wide Fund for Nature’s co-ordinator for turtle conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Developers, politicians and community leaders should start to see marine turtles as a valuable asset, generating revenue and jobs.” WWF compared revenue generated from killing turtles and collecting their eggs with the economic benefits of tourism at 18 sites in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.Turtle tourism has become increasingly popular since it began in the 1980s and now around 175 000 people take sea turtle tours to more than 90 sites in 40 countries each year, according to WWF.At the biggest and most established conservation site, Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica, turtle tourism generates US$6,7 million annually.The conservation group found that populations are declining in areas where turtles are exploited through over-harvesting of turtles and their eggs for food; where they are accidentally caught and killed in fishing nets; or where nesting beaches are being turned into holiday resorts.The seven species of sea turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species as well as by US laws.Six of the seven species are considered endangered or critically endangered.The population of leatherback turtles, which can grow to 2,4 metres long, has declined by 90 per cent over the past two decades in the eastern Pacific, where they nest in Mexico and Costa Rica, said Kim Davis, the Washington-based deputy director of WWF’s Marine Conservation Program.Turtles also nest on the eastern coast of the United States and down into the Caribbean and the northern parts of South America.Traditions of hunting turtles or their eggs have been difficult to restrict or eliminate.Coastal developments have cut into traditional nesting beaches and turtles also are sometimes killed in fishing nets.Davis said the WWF is involved in turtle-conservation programmes in 45 countries, many dedicated to shifting coastal communities to tourism or other alternative uses of the turtles.”In addition to benefiting the species themselves, investments in (sea turtle) conservation are also investments in people and their livelihoods,” said Susan Lieberman, director of WWF’s global species programme.”The continued decline of sea turtle populations will have serious economic consequences.” – Nampa-AP”Developers, politicians and community leaders should start to see marine turtles as a valuable asset, generating revenue and jobs.” WWF compared revenue generated from killing turtles and collecting their eggs with the economic benefits of tourism at 18 sites in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.Turtle tourism has become increasingly popular since it began in the 1980s and now around 175 000 people take sea turtle tours to more than 90 sites in 40 countries each year, according to WWF.At the biggest and most established conservation site, Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica, turtle tourism generates US$6,7 million annually.The conservation group found that populations are declining in areas where turtles are exploited through over-harvesting of turtles and their eggs for food; where they are accidentally caught and killed in fishing nets; or where nesting beaches are being turned into holiday resorts.The seven species of sea turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species as well as by US laws.Six of the seven species are considered endangered or critically endangered.The population of leatherback turtles, which can grow to 2,4 metres long, has declined by 90 per cent over the past two decades in the eastern Pacific, where they nest in Mexico and Costa Rica, said Kim Davis, the Washington-based deputy director of WWF’s Marine Conservation Program.Turtles also nest on the eastern coast of the United States and down into the Caribbean and the northern parts of South America.Traditions of hunting turtles or their eggs have been difficult to restrict or eliminate.Coastal developments have cut into traditional nesting beaches and turtles also are sometimes killed in fishing nets.Davis said the WWF is involved in turtle-conservation programmes in 45 countries, many dedicated to shifting coastal communities to tourism or other alternative uses of the turtles.”In addition to benefiting the species themselves, investments in (sea turtle) conservation are also investments in people and their livelihoods,” said Susan Lieberman, director of WWF’s global species programme.”The continued decline of sea turtle populations will have serious economic consequences.” – Nampa-AP