On the Shores For several years, a long fight has been taking place on the shores of Costa Rica. What could the people be fighting over in a country that is so well known for its environmental efforts? In a fight between activists and poachers the leatherback sea turtle has been caught in the middle. At $1 a piece, Leatherback Sea Turtle eggs are considered an aphrodisiac and have been linked to drug trade. A female turtle can lay 85 or more eggs in one nest and will build several nest per season. Poachers are making substantial amounts of money off of the turtle eggs. So, consequentially, efforts of the multinational Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s Turtle Defense Team have been pushing local poachers to extreme violence. On June 4th a group of activists protecting the endangered leatherback sea turtles were attacked by extremely violent poachers. The activists experience threats often but after a fatal kidnapping of Costa Rican activist Jairo Mora Sandoval back in 2013, local police have stepped in to enforce the law and protect the volunteers. Leatherback Sea Turtle populations have plunged dramatically in recent years. They are listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with only an estimated 34,000 females remaining worldwide. Activists are trying to work with the government to cease the illegal activities of poachers and to protect
this endangered species. Protection and government involvement is not quite where it needs to be yet. However, because of the efforts made so far the IUCN is optimisticthat Leather-back sea turtle populations will stabilize and begin increasing by 2030. Nicole Wasson spent some time in Costa RIca in 2014. There she was taught about self sustainability and Costa Rica’s rich enviornment. She aims to create an awareness in each in the hopes of preserving the biodiversity in Costa Rica and ending the destruction.
Caribbean Coast
