Sea turtle protection by communities in the Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

The “Red de los Humedales de la Costa de Oaxaca” together with PROTUMAR, coordinate sea turtle conservation in five communitarian turtle campsites. Since 2005, efforts of nest protection have been executed for Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Black (Chelonia mydas)and Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). Thousands of hatchlings have been released to the ocean each year. For the Olive Ridley sea turtle, in “La Ventanilla” (four seasons of work), 1003 nests have been protected, 95778 eggs have been incubated and a total of 59997 hatchlings have been liberated. In the campsite of “El Tomatal” 1110 nests, 96997 eggs and 52737 hatchlings. For “Los Naranjos” (since 2006), 553 nests, 53698 eggs, and 19512 hatchlings. For “Cerro Hermoso”, 249 nests, 20633 eggs and 13934 hatchlings. Finally for “La Tuza de Monroy”, an important nesting beach, 965 Olive Ridley nests, 85470 eggs and 62795 hatchings. For the Leatherback, the campsites that have protected more nests are “La Ventanilla” with a total of 45 nests and 516 hatchlings, “El Tomatal” with 19 nests and 435 hatchlings; for the Black sea turtle, “La Ventanilla” has registered 28 nests and 1239 hatchlings. This conservation work is highly significant because it is a communitarian initiative of people who in the past were egg collectors.