Poaching spree sees tens of thousands of turtle eggs stolen
Mexico's southwestern beaches in Oaxaca are prime nesting sites for the threatened Olive Ridley turtle, which return to the country's southern coast ...
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Poaching spree sees tens of thousands of turtle eggs stolen
Mexico's southwestern beaches in Oaxaca are prime nesting sites for the threatened Olive Ridley turtle, which return to the country's southern coast each year to lay their eggs in the sand. But there is trouble in paradise for these reptiles, namely from egg thieves.
The sale of turtle meat and eggs has been banned in Mexico for more than two decades, but the threat of a hefty jail sentence has not been enough to deter poachers.
At Ayuta Morro beach, environmental activists estimate that up to 80 percent of the beach's turtle eggs are poached a night after marines guarding the area left in 2004.
"It (egg poaching) is very high because we don't have Mexico's armed forces doing surveillance. PROFEPA (environmental agency) inspectors have arrived but they are limited in that they're not backed up by the armed forces of Mexico. So, during the night we're talking about 70, 80 percent of eggs that are taken," said Angel Guillermo Gonzalez, from Morro Ayuta's Beach Turtle Camp organisation.
Footage taken by Reuters television shows local residents digging at the beach in broad daylight to steal the estimated hundreds of thousands of eggs laid by turtles.
According to Gonzalez, the lack of surveillance on Oaxaca's beaches to protect the valuable eggs is a result of the criminality in other parts of Mexico.
"We had permanent surveillance from the marines here. That means there was surveillance 365 days of the year but since 2014 the surveillance was removed as a result of the (crime) situation in the country because the marines, well it's an institution that is dedicated to helping other states with criminality (problems) in the country, but unfortunately tackling one problem leads to the neglect of others. So, since 2014 when surveillance was removed, poaching has picked up," added Gonzalez.
Gang violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2007 alone.
Subsistent fisherman in the area can reportedly sell turtle eggs sell for up to 15 Mexican pesos (about 90 U.S. cents) each. Locals living on the coast have long eaten turtle eggs, with their illegality having driven up prices.
"We do this out of necessity, the people live from this, there is no other resource," said this unidentified local.
Humans are the biggest threat to Mexico's turtles, but baby turtles and eggs are also hunted by birds, dogs, crabs and sharks. It is estimated that on average, out of 10,000 that hatch, just 0.02 to 0.2 percent of turtles reach adulthood, environmental experts say.
The sale of turtle meat and eggs has been banned in Mexico for more than two decades, but the threat of a hefty jail sentence has not been enough to deter poachers.
At Ayuta Morro beach, environmental activists estimate that up to 80 percent of the beach's turtle eggs are poached a night after marines guarding the area left in 2004.
"It (egg poaching) is very high because we don't have Mexico's armed forces doing surveillance. PROFEPA (environmental agency) inspectors have arrived but they are limited in that they're not backed up by the armed forces of Mexico. So, during the night we're talking about 70, 80 percent of eggs that are taken," said Angel Guillermo Gonzalez, from Morro Ayuta's Beach Turtle Camp organisation.
Footage taken by Reuters television shows local residents digging at the beach in broad daylight to steal the estimated hundreds of thousands of eggs laid by turtles.
According to Gonzalez, the lack of surveillance on Oaxaca's beaches to protect the valuable eggs is a result of the criminality in other parts of Mexico.
"We had permanent surveillance from the marines here. That means there was surveillance 365 days of the year but since 2014 the surveillance was removed as a result of the (crime) situation in the country because the marines, well it's an institution that is dedicated to helping other states with criminality (problems) in the country, but unfortunately tackling one problem leads to the neglect of others. So, since 2014 when surveillance was removed, poaching has picked up," added Gonzalez.
Gang violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2007 alone.
Subsistent fisherman in the area can reportedly sell turtle eggs sell for up to 15 Mexican pesos (about 90 U.S. cents) each. Locals living on the coast have long eaten turtle eggs, with their illegality having driven up prices.
"We do this out of necessity, the people live from this, there is no other resource," said this unidentified local.
Humans are the biggest threat to Mexico's turtles, but baby turtles and eggs are also hunted by birds, dogs, crabs and sharks. It is estimated that on average, out of 10,000 that hatch, just 0.02 to 0.2 percent of turtles reach adulthood, environmental experts say.
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