SOS Tartarugas works in Cape Verde protecting nesting loggerheads turtles (Caretta caretta) and their habitat. Cape Verde is the third most important nesting area for loggerheads in the world. Turtles are at risk from hunting for meat, stealing of eggs, removal of sand for building and unregulated tourism development. Our email is info@turtlesos.org.
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Little turtles rescued


Thanks to Lacey from Blu Bar and her niece these hatchlings were safely returned to the sea in Santa Maria yesterday.  The little turtles were found wandering around in  Pedra da Lume.  The little girl was happy to see them go in the sea and will receive an adoption certificate to commemorate the occasion.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Project Vito forced to stop working on Fogo beach

One of our colleagues, Silvana Roque, who heads up the turtle conservation project on Fogo, has been forced to admit defeat on one of the main turtle nesting beaches.

Asemana report on Fogo sand mining

Sadly, the President of the Camara Municipal has authorised sand extraction and forty lorries a day are reported to visit the beach every day to destroy this vital habitat.  This is, of course,  against the law.   The President has also chosen to publicly attack the work done by Project Vito and to post guards on the beach to prevent turtles coming ashore.

In the face of this opposition, Silvana has decided to direct her attention to the other beaches on Fogo.  It seems that no one in government or law enforcement is prepared to stop this gross and immoral breach of the law, including the Minister for the Environment who was recently in Fogo.

Friday, August 20, 2010

78% success rate from the first hatchery nest

It's always an anxious wait during the days the first hatchery nest is due to hatch.  Did we do it right?  Is the sand ok?  Will we get any babies?!!

The nest started to dip in the middle (indicating movement below) some days ago but each night our checks revealed no little heads poking through, until finally on Wednesday at 21h just as the Rangers arrived at the hatchery the sand trembled and forty seven babies burst on to the surface.

The nest had incubated for 60 days which is average for the start of the season and the little turtles were released shortly after in front of our guests on the turtle walk on Algodoiero - an unexpected bonus for them!

The next day, in front of a full house, Neal explained our work while Hattie and Ben opened the nest to see what remained.  Luckily for everyone there, a further 13 hatchlings were still in the nest, giving a total of 60 turtles from 77 eggs (78% which is a great result). 

The nest was previously adopted by the Camara Municipal do Sal.



The next nest is due in a few days.

To see hatchlings, adopt turtles, book walks or meet the Rangers visit the hatchery outside the RIU beach between 16h and 18h every day.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Data so far shows decrease in turtles killed on Sal

The latest figures for June and July show that 2010 is slightly busier than 2008 but much lower than 2009.  However great progress has been made in decreasing the mortality of turtles and increasing the number of saved turtles.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Hatchling season has begun!

The first two nests of the year have hatched.  Nest 1 in Surf Beach Hatchery began hatching on the 5th August 57 days after it was laid (average incubation period) and had a stunning success of 92%.  Congratulations to Tim at Rhooms who is now the proud Dad of 109 baby loggerhead turtles!

The second nest hatched last night with (so far) 46 hatchlings born at 11pm.  The lucky people on the turtle walk on Costa Fragata were able to see them go into the sea at the end of their tour.

Excavation of the nest will take place at 17h this afternoon for those on Sal who would like to see some hatchlings.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Euclides Gonçalves (City Hall of Sal) speaks out against leniency towards people killing turtles

Os ambientalistas estão inconformados com a forma como está a se lidar com os crimes ambientais na ilha do Sal. O protesto é contra a “impunidade” em que navegam os caçadores de tartaruga, que todos os dias caçam, matam, vendem e consomem esta espécie símbolo dos mares de Cabo Verde, entretanto em extinção no mundo.

De acordo com Euclides Gonçalves, director de saneamento da Câmara Municipal do Sal e um dos principais defensores do meio ambiente da ilha, até Julho mais de 426 tartarugas deram às costas do Sal para a desova. Destas, 26 foram mortas. Um número muito elevado para uma ilha que está há largos anos tenta sensibilizar as pessoas contra esta prática.
Segundo Gonçalves, que fala em nome de todos os ambientalistas do Sal, cerca de 12 pessoas já foram autuadas por crimes contra o ambiente, neste caso, pela caça de tartarugas. Até agora, afirma, apenas um julgamento aconteceu, envolvendo 3 suspeitos.
O pior, lamenta Euclides, “é que a estes prevaricadores só foram aplicadas multas de 10 mil escudos. E veja: se matam a tartaruga e vendem a sua carne por mais de 30 contos, acabam por sair no lucro, mesmo pagando 10 10 contos de multa”.
A sensação que se tem, diz o responsável pelo gabinete de saneamento da CMS, é de impunidade. “Usamos o dinheiro público para fazer o trabalho de protecção e preservação das tartarugas e os prevaricadores continuam a praticar este crime impunemente”, contesta. E aconselha: “Se calhar seria muito mais proveitoso puni-los com serviço social, ou até mesmo colocá-los nas praias, para junto com a organizações fazer o trabalho de protecção”.
Euclides Gonçalves aponta o dedo às autoridades, acusando-os de não se preocuparem com esta matéria de preservação das tartarugas, “símbolo do paraíso cabo-verdiano”. “Se não vejamos: para o Sal, este ano foram disponibilizados apenas 300 contos para o projecto de protecção e preservação das tartarugas. Recentemente, a Câmara do Fogo autorizou a apanha de areia em Fonte Bila, uma das principais praias de desova da ilha. Todos anos surgem obras grandes nas praias do país”. No fundo, completa Gonçalves, estes exemplos mostram o descaso com que as autoridades deste país estão a tratar o ambiente.
A pergunta que se coloca é: “vale a pena continuar a fazer esse trabalho, quando é pública e notória a destruição dos habitats, enquanto as autoridades parecem não estar nem aí para esta espécie rara no mundo, e que nós temos o privilégio de ter em abundância no nosso mar e nas nossas praias. Se calhar daqui a algum tempo vão pensar doutra forma. Só espero que não seja tarde demais”, lança o ambientalista.