The Environmental Justice Foundation is calling for sea turtle protection for sustainable oceans in Ghana
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) says it is working with coastal communities in Ghana to protect sea turtles. The move, they say, is to help restore fish populations, reduce the impact of overfishing and support Ghana's wildlife well into the future. The organization said that since 2019, its turtle conservation project in Ghana has rescued 39 sea turtles and released them safely. The pigeons were from differentspecies: 27 olive ridi, 5 leatherback, 5 green pigeon, 1 hawksbill and 1 loggerhead. Olives, leather fish and green turtles are common along the coast of Ghana. Leatherback turtles are the largest sea turtle species and travel the longest distance between breeding and feeding grounds of any sea turtle, covering approximately3,700 kilometers each way. Loggerheads and hawksbill turtles also frequent Ghanaian waters. However, all these species are declining in Ghanaand are threatened worldwide. The Environmental Justice Foundation is calling for sea turtle protection for sustainable oceans in Ghana
Ghana November 2017
These rescues were achievedthrough local means and protected sea turtles. Of the 39 safe releases made by EJF, 28 were turtles caught by fishermen by mistake. The pigeons got tangled in their nets, and the fishermen wanted to sell them to the pigeon cooksto pay for their damaged nets. However, the rangers were able to communicate with the fishermen and the turtle wasreleased into the sea. The Environmental Justice Foundation is calling for sea turtle protection for sustainable oceans in Ghana
The other 11, explains EJF, were found by hunters during the nesting season, but the patrol team managed to convincethem to release the pigeons. However, unfortunately, they show that not all turtles weresaved - two leatherback turtleswere killed in Senya Breku and a green turtle died in fishing nets. “These conservation efforts protect the turtles, but also the marine ecosystem. Research shows that turtles play an important role in maintaining healthy oceans and fish stocksby grazing on seagrass beds,maintaining coral reefs, and regulating the population of jellyfish that eat fish eggs. . In addition, turtle nests placed along Ghana's shores providenutrients that support coastal ecosystems,” EJF said.
In Ghana, sea turtles are often hunted when they come to nest on the shore, or unknowingly in fishing nets. The destruction of nests by dogs and thedevelopment of beaches also cause serious problems. This means that it is important to act now to protect sea turtles to ensure their survival and continue to benefit from the important benefits they provideto coastal communities, according to EJF. EJF's worksince 2019 in Gomoa Fetteh, with an extension to Senya Breku in 2021, is working to protect sea turtles from beach guards, as well as creating films to build support for local turtle conservation.
EJF President and FounderSteve Trent said, "When sea turtle populations decline, the important role they play in theocean environment goes with them. This means that restoring a thriving population of sea turtles brings direct economic benefits to fishermen and coastal communities in Ghana. It is time to protect sea turtlesand rebuild their populations, to ensure a healthy and resilient ocean for the future.
As Ghana joins the rest of the world in marking International Pigeon Day, the EJF says it will continue to encourage huntersto stop hunting and be protective instead, including children. in the countryside as future pigeon advocates, toprovide more pigeon support. organizers. and extendingsuccessful beach patrols to other coastal communities. About the Turtle Conservation Project
EJF's Turtle Project is beingimplemented in Gomoa Fetteh and Senya Breku, two coastal communities in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region of Ghana.
The security team consists ofsix members from the Gomoa Fetteh football team, Fetteh Youngsters, and three volunteers from the Senya Bereku team. Tourists walk along the city's beaches at night looking for signs of where the turtles will be recorded and trap the turtles for release.
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