New York Aquarium News
A Second Chance for Sea Turtles in Nicaragua
William McCoy can remember a time when Nicaragua’s coasts teemed with sea life. During his teenage years, so many lobsters swam in local waters that people could afford to leave the undersized ones for later. There were more green turtles, too, so when fishers would capture the young greens foraging in shallow waters, they didn’t hesitate to cook up a couple to feed themselves. The hawksbill turtle eggs buried in the sands of the Pearl Cays were seen as little more than another source of protein by the coastal residents who collected them freely. Even a nesting turtle working vigorously up on the beach to shelter her eggs was subject to harvest. But life—shelled or not—is not an indestructible resource. Soon the turtles and their eggs all but vanished from the beaches.
Although he never formally studied marine science, McCoy has always been interested in conservation and natural resource use issues. Trained as a diesel mechanic when he was a young man, he worked with several fishing companies on the Caribbean coast of his native Nicaragua. As he worked, McCoy observed the decline in many of the country’s natural resources, including lobster, fish, parrots, jaguar, peccary, white-tailed deer, and green and hawksbill turtles. Since leaving the fishing boats, he has been working hard to protect and conserve the marine turtles of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
McCoy teamed up with WCS Nicaragua in 1999. As a result of his conservation efforts, the number of hawksbill egg clutches poached from the Pearl Cays has dramatically decreased. And the number of female hawksbills killed while nesting on the beaches has been reduced to a tiny fraction of what it was just a few years ago. Local fishers are beginning to see, for the first time ever, post-hatchling hawksbills in the Pearl Cays area. Thanks to McCoy’s efforts, dozens of hawksbill and loggerhead turtles are now donated to the WCS marine turtle program annually by fishers who capture them opportunistically in nets or when diving for lobster. The donated turtles, together with greens that the WCS research team captures, are first measured and tagged, then released back into the water. As they move through their feeding grounds, some are recaptured, upon which the tags are removed and returned to the WCS office. The data allows the research team to estimate survival rates and understand population dynamics for the different species. This research will also help determine sustainable harvest levels of green turtles in the turtle fishery on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
This past fall, McCoy was awarded Honorable Mention in the XII Annual National Environmental Semper Virens Contest. McCoy’s award, in the Sacuanjoche category (named after Nicaragua’s national flower, the mayflower), was given to the persons, institutions, or research centers whose work has contributed the most toward the protection and defense of the environment. Nicaraguan President Enrique BolaÒos presented the award to McCoy and the other winners at the Presidential Palace in Managua. The contest was directed by the Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales (MARENA).
McCoy described the tribulations and promise of sea turtle conservation from the WCS office in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua.
Which species of marine turtles do you work to conserve?
Hawksbill, green, loggerhead, and leatherback turtles. These are the four species found along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, and foraging in its waters. On the coast, nesting occurs primarily by hawksbill turtles but also by leatherbacks.
Do sea turtles have cultural value for Nicaraguans?
In general, Nicaraguans don’t have a special cultural connection to sea turtles; however, some ethnic and indigenous groups value the green turtle’s meat. The main indigenous and ethnic groups are Miskitu, Rama, and Sumu Indians, and the Afro-Caribbean Creole and Garifuna groups.
What are the most serious threats to the marine life of the Caribbean?
The biggest threats are uncontrolled over-harvesting and weak enforcement of regulations. Another danger comes from the contamination of the water by human waste, and disposed diesel, oil, and gasoline.
How has your experience as a fisherman helped you in your current conservation work?
My experience as a fisherman helps a lot because it gives me the opportunity to talk with other fishermen about protecting our natural resources. They are willing to listen to me because I'm from here, they know me, and they know I’m also a fisherman. They are often in total agreement that protecting our natural resources is something good to do.
How do you work to build community awareness of the turtles’ troubles in Nicaragua?
Without the involvement and support of the people who use the resources, such as fishers and other members of the community, it would be almost impossible to accomplish the conservation of sea turtles here in Nicaragua. In addition, local people can provide a lot of valuable and important information about them. Morning, noon, and night I communicate with local people about the threats to sea turtles and what we need to be doing to maintain our sea turtle populations. Whenever I’m at home or walking around town, I’m always talking with my family, friends, and authorities about the threats to sea turtles, what we need to do, and what other countries just as poor as ours are doing to conserve their marine resources, especially turtles.
Are you and your team working to introduce alternative sources of protein and livelihoods to detract people from harvesting turtles and their eggs?
Yes, we are currently developing a pilot ecotourism project with a local group of fishers to take tourists out to the Pearl Cays to observe nesting hawksbills during the 2006 summer nesting season. We are also collaborating with other local organizations to determine viable alternative sources of income and protein to harvesting green turtles for coastal communities.
Did the Honorable Mention award you received indicate to you an increasing recognition of the plight of sea turtles?
Yes, because at least now the Minister of Natural Resources and the President—the highest political levels in Nicaragua—were made aware, at least for a brief moment, of the importance of the work we are doing on the Caribbean coast and some of our accomplishments. Whereas, in the past you wouldn't hear anyone recognize you for your work on protecting sea turtles. Before, if you talked about protecting sea turtles in Nicaragua, people would think you were crazy.
To learn more about WCS Nicaragua’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program, click here, where you can also make a tax-deductible contribution to help save sea turtles.
