Source:
https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/article/3209342/love-endangered-sea-turtles-turns-poachers-philippines-protectors
YP
/
Discover
/
News

Love of endangered sea turtles turns poachers in the Philippines into protectors

Conservation programme CURMA has transformed poachers into allies by offering incentives and training to help save thousands of animals Volunteers are paid to collect eggs, which are then are transferred to a hatchery to be reburied in protected areas
Reuters
|
A baby olive ridley sea turtle emerges from its nest in a CURMA hatchery in San Juan, La Union, Philippines on December 20, 2022. Set up in 2009, CURMA, or Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions, is leading the conservations programme around La Union beaches. Photo: Reuters

Armed with a wooden stick, a bucket and a headlamp, Philippine construction worker Johnny Manlugay hunts every night for the eggs of sea turtles on the pristine beaches of the northern province of La Union.

The 55-year-old can easily spot nesting sites, having been trained in his youth by his grandfather how to track the animals and their eggs, which his family traded at the time or ate.

But his egg-stealing days are over. Now Manlugay has turned his skills to helping protect marine turtles on the provincial beaches favoured by the endangered Olive Ridley species to build nesting sites.

The print version of the entire article is exclusively accessible to subscribers only. Subscribe