What an interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing it.
The similarities are very impressive, despite the distance.
We developed a sea turtle conservation initiative in the central coast of Venezuela, in the north of South America.
It is called Project Parape, "parape" is the common name given by fishermen to the hawksbill turtle, the species that we dedicate most attention to as the most threatened. This initiative has a deep community base, since the consumption of turtle eggs and meat is an extended practice and we could say that ancestral.
Our job is to protect the nests of turtles, for this we seek to involve local youth to gain the confidence of fishermen and show them the impact of the depredation of these animals on the ecosystem and what sustainable fishing practices can be applied to obtain more benefits of fishing without destroying ecosystems. They themselves have seen the great decrease in sea turtle populations in the area.
It is a great challenge, because the serious crisis we are experiencing in Venezuela complicates making the message reach the local communities effectively. Since it is very difficult to get quality food, especially protein, in this case, the consumption of sea turtles has increased considerably. To which we must add that we no longer have the possibility to be constantly on the beaches due to the high logistics costs.
However, we are convinced that we must continue with our work. It is necessary to transmit citizen awareness for the conservation of sea turtles as a fundamental element for the balance of ecosystems and the identity of our communities, since they are part of the culture of our peoples. If they disappear, with them a part of our history is gone.
Conservation is the first step to start the road towards the sustainable development of our economy and our society. That is why, despite the crisis and the politicians, we continue working in Venezuela.
RE: Wild Wednesday's: Saving the sea turtles in Chania, Crete - Greece: Part 2