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International Environmental Partnership Promotes Turtle Research
Two leading environmental organizations, Earthwatch Institute and Ocean Conservancy, have partnered on the SEE Turtles project to promote conservation of the world’s endangered sea turtle populations. As all seven of the planet’s species are under
threat, the goal of the project is to demonstrate how public
involvement in turtle conservation can have a bigger economic impact on
local communities than traditional hunting. SEE Turtles formally
launches at the 28th Annual Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation Symposium,
held by the International Sea Turtle Society, in Loreto, Baja
California Sur, Mexico, from January 19 to 26. Like the SEE Turtles
campaign itself, many of this year’s Symposium offerings will
demonstrate both the environmental and economic benefits of turtle
conservation.
Sea turtles—marine reptiles whose forms and lifecycles have been virtually unchanged for millions of years—are under threat from many angles, including increased human development that destroys coastal nesting habitats, ocean pollution, indiscriminate fishing practices, and hunting. As a result, some turtle populations have seen up to a 90% decline in recent decades. In response, the SEE Turtles project will work to bring together concerned members of the public with local communities as a way to underscore the economic value of conservation. Recent studies by the World Wildlife Fund suggest that turtle-based conservation experiences have the potential to bring in more than three times the income of egg poaching.
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