An Overview Of Our Solution
Sea Turtle Conservation and Improvement of Coastal Communities’ Livelihoods
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Oceans/Coasts
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: North America
Problem
Describe the problem
Historically, more than 98% of sea turtle eggs laid in El Salvador were consumed by people. A ban on the consumption of sea turtle eggs in February 2009 gave FUNZEL the legal framework to begin a multi-faceted approach to sea turtle conservation. The tortugeros who poached turtle eggs and sold them in markets are now partners in the conservation efforts. They collect sea turtle eggs and turn them in to FUNZEL’s egg hatcheries as part of a payment for environmental services scheme. FUNZEL trains local community leaders to be hatchery managers–or viveristas–who monitor and protect the eggs until the sea turtles hatch. Tourists are encouraged to participate in the sea turtle hatchling releases. Tourists’ purchases made with local vendors provide community economic development and well being.
Biodiversity Impact
FUNZEL conserves 4 species of sea turtles in El Salvador-olive ridley, green, hawksbill and leatherback. Sea turtles, especially green, eat marine grasses. Sea turtles are marine grazers. They manage sea grasses and keep them healthy. Beds of healthy marine grasses are essential to the breeding and development of many species of fish and marine life. Any decline in sea turtle population affects marine grass beds and therefore affects entire food chains. By working to conserve sea turtles, FUNZEL is working to create sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems. Sea turtles also provide invaluable nutrients to beaches and dunes. These fragile, crucial, ecosystems rely on sparse vegetation to prevent erosion. The vegetation requires nutrients to grow. Sea turtle eggs–hatched or unhatched, and hatchlings that do not make it to the ocean, are all nutrient-rich sources for dune and beach ecosystems.By ensuring that sea turtle eggs stay on the beaches instead of going to local markets, FUNZEL ensures that these valuable nutrient sources are used to promote ecosystem health.Sea turtles benefit from sustainable fishing practices. Eliminating fishing by explosives or “bombing†which mindlessly kills all sea life, and limiting the use of long lines and encouraging larger hooks allow sea turtles to escape death as “by catchâ€. These practices are also more sustainable practices for marine ecosystem health in general. As part of the sea turtle conservation program, FUNZEL works to encourage best management practices for fishing, as well as reports fishing violations to the officials.
Solution
The biggest threats to sea turtles in El Salvador are human consumption of sea turtle eggs, contamination of beaches and oceans with garbage, and improper fishing. FUNZELƒ??s program addresses all of these threats. In El Salvador, the commercialization of sea turtle eggs is illegal. FUNZEL executes awareness campaigns encouraging people not to buy sea turtle eggs. These campaigns are executed on local radio and TV stations; billboards, marquees and buses; and on social media. The campaigns convince people not to consume sea turtle eggs and encourage tortugeros to turn their eggs into local hatcheries instead of selling them on the black market. Through FUNZELƒ??s payment for collection services, the tortugeros benefit and the sea turtles are conserved. FUNZEL is also very involved in environmental education campaigns to convince people not to pollute the beaches of El Salvador. Sea turtles, and other marine species, often confuse plastic waste as food and subsequently choke. Also, garbage on beaches deters female sea turtles when they lay their eggs. FUNZEL helps to reduce the threat that garbage poses to sea turtles by organizing beach cleanings and teaching proper garbage management. Lastly, improper fishing techniques that use inadequate nets and hooks are a major threat to sea turtles because they get caught and canƒ??t surface to breathe. FUNZEL therefore works with local authoritiesƒ??police, local and national government, to ensure that fishermen are complying with all laws and agreements to ensure the conservation of sea turtles. // FUNZELƒ??s program is applied on 13 beaches in El Salvador, whose total surface area equals 717.1 hectares. The largest beach where FUNZEL works is 180.9 hectares and the smallest is 11.6 hectares. In addition to the work on beaches, FUNZEL also provides coastal communities with trainings, environmental education activities in the schools, medical attention campaigns and assistance during emergencies. Our media campaigns are broadcast throughout the entire national territory. Therefore FUNZEL has an impact over the entire surface area of El Salvador or 2,072,100 hectares.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 4 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // On the 13 beaches in which FUNZEL works there are contracted hatchery managers who monitor and take care of the nests of sea turtle eggs. They are in charge of receiving the sea turtle eggs that the tortugeros turn in as well as are in charge of keeping detailed records about the eggs, the nests and the hatchlings. The hatchery managers record the number of eggs received and from which species of sea turtle, temperature and moisture level of the nests, and the number of hatchlings that hatch, among other data. FUNZEL field biologists provide technical support to the hatchery technicians on a weekly basis – answering any questions, reviewing data collected and verifying record keeping. On a weekly basis, the tortugeros are paid for their services of collecting eggs and turning the eggs in to FUNZEL’s hatcheries. These payments are based on receipts that the hatchery managers give to the tortugeros. Working behind the scenes of the hatchery technicians and field biologists are administrators, communications personnel, strategic alliances, promotions and veterinary services.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
FUNZEL’s solution is based on community involvement, and improving livelihoods is a key component to its success. The tortugueros are paid for their services of collecting sea turtle eggs and this provides income for them and their families. In addition, tourists who attend sea turtle hatchling releases on the beach provide income for the vendors that sell food, drinks and souvenirs. The tourists also donate to the program for the hatchling release experience, and part of this donation goes to the coastal community. The program will become financially sustainable by developing the eco-tourism sector around sea turtles. This will continue to improve the livelihoods of the coastal communities, and will provide extra incentive to protect and conserve sea turtles. As a part of the sea turtle conservation program, FUNZEL organizes community trainings and workshops, health care campaigns, relief donations during crises (flooding etc.) and environmental education activities in public schools. These activities add to the wellbeing and livelihood of the coastal communities and encourage continued support of FUNZEL and the sea turtle conservation program. In the coastal communities where FUNZEL is working, more than 3400 households are directly benefitted. The families of the tortugeros benefit directly from the income received for environmental services. The entire community directly benefits from the increased tourism, trainings provided by FUNZEL, environmental education activities and beach cleaning campaigns. FUNZEL’s broadcast campaigns reach more than a million people. // FUNZEL as an organization has an active board of directors who meet regularly to discuss and decide solutions to issues relating to the functioning of FUNZEL. FUNZEL’s hatcheries are located in small, rural, coastal communities and each community is highly invested in the management and governance of that hatchery. The community plays a key role in the process of selecting trustworthy and capable people to by the hatchery managers. They must be trusted by the community but also accountable to FUNZEL. The community is an invaluable resource in determining who those people may be. In addition, when FUNZEL holds sea turtle hatchling releases on the beaches, the local communities benefit from the tourists who arrive and purchase food, drinks and souvenirs. Therefore, the communities are very invested in the development of tourism on their beach and around their sea turtle egg hatchery. The communities are encouraged to form local development committees to address local governance issues as related to the development of tourism around the sea turtle egg hatchery. Some sea turtle egg hatcheries are run completely by FUNZEL, others in partner with other organizations – NGOs, local governments or institutions; and some hatcheries are completely independent of FUNZEL but with technical advice from FUNZEL.