SOCIETY & LIFESTYLE

TURTLES RELEASE DAY 2020 Celebrating The 21 st Annual Release of Turtles to The Sea

By Paul Owere

The Minister of Information, Tourism and Heritage Hon. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo was the official guest as he released the first turtle followed by a hundreds of Turtles getting released back into the ocean. In his speech he insisted on the importance of other villages in Zanzibar to conserve turtles for the benefits of Tourism of Zanzibar.”

It may come off as a surprise to you but among one of most fascinating events that happens

island. The Stone Town based Eco & Culture Tours NGO was the initiator of this project, and

in February, is the Turtles Release Day! Initiated by Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond, the event was exclusive for releasing

big and small sea turtles from a natural pond, back to the sea. This year, the annual release was held on 20 th February at Nungwi Mnarani

Aquarium in Zanzibar, attended by different invitee, from within Zanzibar and abroad.

The Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond is a community-based NGO established in 1993 as an effort to conserve the population of sea turtles native to Zanzibar empowered the local villagers to take this conservation initiative into their own hands. Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have traditionally been hunted around Zanzibar for their attractive shells, and Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) for their meat.

The mission of the Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond is to conserve the island’s turtle population by promoting education amongst local fishermen against deliberate capture of turtles and encouraging their safe release when accidentally captured.