LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles) Association - WIDECAST

Research and Conservation Project of the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the South Pacific of Costa Rica

Sea turtles have an important cultural, ecological and economic value. Indigenous communities of the region, as well as more recent colonialists have benefited from the meat, shell, skin and oil of these turtles. Archaeological studies testify to the evidence of more than 1,000 captures per years. The negative effect of these historical captures without any regulation are even exacerbated by the causes of death that originated with the mid-twentieth century, which include: the incidental entanglement in fishing nets, the fragmentation of nesting and feeding grounds due to coastal development and increased tourism, as well as the diversification of human activities in coastal areas and in the ocean. Latter has caused them to be regarded as an endangered species, being included in Appendix I of the CITES agreement (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).