These are turbulent times for turtles.
First, the good news: Fundação Príncipe – with whom Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has been working since 2015 – is making tremendous strides in helping to protect a trio of threatened turtle species, all of which are suffering an alarming population decline across the globe.
The oceanic island of Príncipe lies in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa and is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. In 2012, the entire island was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, in recognition of its varied topography, unspoilt habitats and unique assemblage of species, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet.
The waters surrounding Príncipe harbour five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle and this remote island’s relatively pristine beaches provide crucial nesting sites for three of those species: the green turtle, the leatherback and the critically endangered hawksbill.
Thanks to the collective efforts of regional and national government, island communities and numerous local and international partners including FFI, Fundação Príncipe’s vision of a safe haven for sea turtles that sets the gold standard for their conservation is beginning to take shape.
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Image via Fauna & Flora International
