Final Report: Beach Conservation Activities

These efforts were conducted in conjunction with local and institutional partners, including AAMVECONA, staff from the Costa Rica Wildlife Sanctuary, and ACLAC-SINAC officials located in Puerto Vargas, Cahuita National Park. Resources from the USAID Regional Program for the Management of Aquatic Resources and Economic Alternatives were used from the end of the leatherback turtle season in early July and throughout the hawksbill turtle and green turtle nesting seasons up until November 15. A total of 1,019 nests of the three species were protected, with an average successful eclosion rate for relocated nests or nurseries of 65% for leatherback turtles, 92% for hawksbill turtles, and 85% for green turtles. The records indicate a maximum mortality rate of 40% for leatherback turtles in Cahuita National Park based on data on exhumed beds or nests, and an estimated 45,837 hatchlings reached the sea. This is the final result of conservation activities, which also included beach patrols and clean-ups, nursery care, and visitor information. The conservation of sea turtles poses significant challenges to modern societies. Despite significant advances in the biology of these animals over the past 50 years, important knowledge gaps remain. Decisions on the management and conservation of these resources are often made with insufficient and fragmented information. However, it is now understood that sea turtles migrate across multiple national jurisdictions and converge on areas of feeding grounds from diverse origins and genetic units. As a result, the conservation of sea turtles is a regional challenge that requires multinational coordination and the commitment of various actors from the public and private sectors. The binational zone between Moín and Bocas del Toro has been highlighted as a significant nesting site studied by various researchers, including Troeng et al. (2004), who noted the reproduction of the leatherback turtle in the area. This site has been cataloged as one of the most important in the Eastern Caribbean for the reproduction of this species. However, it was also a notable site for the nesting of the hawksbill turtle in the past, although its numbers declined due to the exploitation of its shell (Groombridge and Luxmoore, 1989). Conservation efforts may be able to recover one of the most important areas for the species in the Caribbean. Regarding the green turtle, although narratives also distinguish this zone as important for the species (Palmer, 1986), early statistical records from the 1980s expose low abundance data, possibly due to the decline in the quality of marine pastures in this area associated with sedimentation and agricultural development in adjacent watersheds. As a result of the importance of the site, consecutive efforts from various national and binational initiatives, private and public, were made to eradicate the intensive use of local communities of sea turtles and change some patterns of behavior that harm their critical ecosystems.