The Dominican Republic officially launched the nesting season for the leatherback, the largest sea turtle in the world and which is in danger of extinction worldwide, reported Tuesday the Ministry of the Environment.
The event was held on Limón beach, in Miches, in the eastern Dominican province of El Seibo, an important nesting site for leatherbacks, Yonattan Mercado, administrator of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environment and Resources, said in a statement. natural.
Said ministry “has been working tirelessly to protect the nesting sites of these turtles,” said Mercado.
You might also be interested in: Beliefs that extinguish: Southern Jicotea
More than 80% of the agencies, NGOs, technicians from the Ministry of the Environment and organizations that work on the issue of turtles in the country participate in the official celebration of said season, according to the Vice Minister of Protected Areas and Biodiversity, Federico Franco.
In addition to promoting the conservation of the species, the Environment portfolio also seeks to serve as a link between the actors who are in the same work of turtle conservation on the beaches of Miches and the Caribbean region.
“Sea turtles are a vital component of marine ecosystems and play an important role in the balance of our oceans,” but “unfortunately, many species of sea turtles face threats to their survival, including habitat loss, climate change, and poaching,” said Helena Sáenz, from the CEPM company, which is part of the campaign, in the note.
The program implemented will include the monitoring and protection of turtle nests, as well as components of awareness and community education and scientific research.
Leatherbacks are distributed throughout the seas of the world but seek the sands of warm areas for their reproduction, which allows the incubation of their eggs. The turtle spawning season runs from March to September each year.
