Page 11 - AHATA

Monday 13 March 2023 LOCAL
A10
Sea turtle conservation by Turtugaruba Foundation
ORANJESTAD ― Turtugaruba was founded on September
3rd, 2003 by a group of enthusiastic volunteers. Ten years
earlier, in 1993, a Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan (STRAP)
was introduced in Aruba and the rest of the Caribbean as
an initiative of the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP). Tom Barmes, who was working at DLVV (Deptart-
ment of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fishery) was one of
the writers of the STRAP for Aruba, together with Karen
Eckert, director of WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle
Conservation Network). This is how sea turtle conserva-
tion started on the island following a plan that is still com- Aruba the sea turtles are threatened with back to Aruba and get the chance to re-
plied with today.
Tom formed a group of volunteers around him, because
nature does not know office hours, like an organization
such as DLVV. This group of volunteers used the name
Widecast Aruba and today there are still a few of them
active. They first started protecting the Leatherback Sea
Turtle nests on Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. This group
also investigated which other species of sea turtles use
Aruba as their nesting habitat and which ply need dark nesting beaches for their
beaches are used by them. For a period survival. It is clear that even more coastal
of 25 years a study has been conducted in development would not make the situa-
which every early morning the beach was tion better for the sea turtles. Again, more
being monitored in which now there is a hotel rooms? And even busier beaches?
good overview of sea turtle nesting activi- These are choices Aruba has to make. Do
ties. we want to leave a place for the sea tur-
tles? Not only Aruba, but the entire world
There are 4 different sea turtle species needs sea turtles! Sea turtles play a vital
that visit Aruba to lay their eggs, each with role in keeping our oceans healthy.
their own specific season:
- Leatherback Sea Turtle - Lederschildpad The Green Turtle, for example, keeps the
- Driekiel (March – September) sea grasses on the bottom of the sea short
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle - Dikkopschildpad and therefore a healthy place for many
- Cawama (May – September) fish to deposit their eggs. The Leatherback,
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Karetschildpad - the largest turtle of the world, eats mainly
Caret (June – December) jellyfish and helps maintain the balance
- Green Turtle - Soepschildpad - Turtuga between jellyfish and plankton. Despite
Blanco (July-November) the threats that exist on Aruba, the turtles
still keep coming. That’s why today Tur-
There also came a better understanding tugaruba is especially proud of the volun-
and overview of the biggest threats to the teers and the many people and organiza-
sea turtles existence in Aruba and how tions of our community that carry a warm
these problems should be tackled. Despite place in their hearts for the sea turtles. All
hard work, all those years, most problems four species are active now, which means
have not really gone away, but luckily and all hands on deck in the field for us, the vol-
thanks to the enormous efforts from the unteers. We strive to keep the sea turtles,
volunteers, the sea turtles are still here. On our oldest ‘repeat guests’, always coming
extinction by pollution, driving on dunes produce here.
and beaches with quads and 4x4’s and
the loss of nesting beaches due to coastal What you can do to protect the sea turtles
development on behalf of tourism. Be- • Lights out for sea turtles.
cause coastal development comes with • Do not drive on beaches.
artificial light and artificial light is a mayor • Do not litter. Do not leave any plastic
issue for sea turtles, mother turtle usually cups, straws or bags on the beach.
comes on shore at night looking for a dark • Remove obstacles from the beach.
beach to make her nest. However… a • Do not disturb a nesting sea turtle. Do
dark beach is hard to find here nowadays. not attempt to touch the turtle but
Light causes stress and can result in her re- stay at a respectful distance (at least
turning to the sea without laying her eggs. 10 meters).
Artificial light causes disorientation for the • Do call Turtugaruba (24 hour Turtle Ho-
baby sea turtles (hatchlings). tline: (297) 5929393).
They crawl towards artificial light sources For more information visit the facebook
(like streetlights, hotel lights, etc.) and then page Turtugaruba Foundation. q
they don’t find the sea. In the 90’s it was
still a common occurrence to find a com-
plete nest of about 70 hatchlings on the
streets, dead, as cars drove over them.
Thanks to their protection methods and a
lot of time and effort, the volunteers of Tur-
tugaruba have managed to get this under
control. But for a sustainable solution there
must be less light visible on the beaches
and a strict regulation of it. Sea turtles sim-