Concerns over DWC’s tourism focused sea turtle conservation plan

The Department of Wildlife Conservation ( DWC)  has planned to commence sea turtle conservation related tourism near Rakawa Sanctuary in Parallel to World Biodiversity Day on Monday.

According to a statement issued by DWC, the Kapuhenwala wildlife office has commenced a sea turtle conservation programme centered on Rakawa Sanctuary, which is identified as Sri Lanka's first sea turtle sanctuary.

Therefore the area has the necessary environment to promote tourism via sea turtle conservation. Accordingly, the DWC is planning to set up programmes where foreign tourists are allowed to take part in ex-situ conservation (outside of its natural habitat) to the wild. The department also plans to allow observation nesting of sea turtles, allow trekking around the beach at night and to set up camp near the area.

Currently DWC officers collect sea turtle eggs from unsafe nests situated near the beach areas at Rakawa Sanctuary and hatch them in ex-situ conditions and release them back to the wild.

Four species of sea turtles out of the five species found in Sri Lanka lay their eggs at Rakawa beach these species are, Green turtle (Chelonia mydas ), Olive ridley turtle(Lepidochelys olivacea), Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and Logger-head turtle (Caretta caretta) The Leatherback turtle is largest extant sea turtle species.

Gravid Sea turtles return to the beaches where they are born to lay their eggs therefore preservation of beaches with nesting sites is vital to ensure preservation of these reptiles.

The Rakawa Beach area is an already internationally famous beach which is also identified as a nesting ground of turtles. People also consider the area as a paradise for turtles as the sanctuary extends for 677 acres.

However the Environmentalists say the DWC’s plan violates the department's own laws.

Environmental activist Sajeewa Chamikara from the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform (MONLAR) told the Times Online that the DWC’s move on promoting tourism through turtle conservation related activities violates the preamble of the Found and Flora Protection ordinance as wild animals and plants cannot be used commercial purposes .

 He explained that according Section 30 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (annex 02) five turtle species found in Sri Lanka  are highly protected. Therefore any disturbance, harm or possession or used for commercial purposes are prohibited.

Mr Chamikara pointed out that turtle conservation has to be done scientifically, he added that the turtles absorb the York of the egg before emerging from the nest and use the energy to reach deep sea and start feeding.

“When turtles who just emerge from eggs are kept in tanks for days and released to the sea the animals are depleted of energy and end up perishing.” he said.

 He added that the move of allowing to trek in turtle nesting beaches, allowing camping nearby as well as allowing observations could disturb turtles.

Mr Chamikara elaborated that the ex situ turtle hating should be done scientifically and with extreme care as the animals sex is determined by incubation temperatures, therefore if sex ratio gets imbalanced it could cause a drop in turtle numbers.

The environmentalist added that proper conservation of turtles can be done by preserving nesting sites and scientifically carrying out ex-situ hatching, and blamed the DWC’s move as wrong and gives a bad precedent.  

Meanwhile The Director General of DWC, Chandana Sooriyabanadara said that DWC would only allow tourists to release newly hatched turtles and would not ever keep the turtles in captive conditions as some private turtle hatcheries do.

“I ask the Environmentalists to not view us as private turtle hatchery, in fact we are about bring regulations so they carry out their work scientifically”, he said

 He added that they would only allow observation of turtles under guidelines and would make sure that the reptiles are undisturbed. Apart from that he clarified that the camping sites would never be set up near nesting sites or the sanctuary but in areas outside the boundary of the sanctuary.