23 May, World Turtle Day and five simple ways to protect sea turtles!
The main threats to sea turtles are:
Every day, each of us makes choices about what weʼre going to eat or buy, and how weʼre going to spend our time. Letʼs look at five simple things we can all do to protect sea turtles, which are so very vulnerable and threatened today:
2) Choose ʽsafeʼ seafood Avoid eating canned fish, particularly tuna, swordfish and shrimps. The fishing equipment used for harvesting these types of fish entrap and kill huge numbers of sea turtles and other sea life worldwide. In addition, these three fish species are harmful to our health since they often contain mercury.
3) Eat healthily to ʽhold backʼ climate change You can help save sea turtles by eating healthily! Global warming has already caused a rise in temperatures and sea levels, directly resulting in the flooding of sea turtle nesting sites. By choosing to eat local products and products which donʼt involve a huge manufacturing process, you help reduce toxic emissions which contribute to climate change.
4) Become an informed, aware citizen Keep informed about the latest ecological and environmental activities by groups in your area and take part in them. But donʼt stop there – Sea turtles need lots of friends in order to survive. Support ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece (www.archelon.gr), and enable them to continue and expand their activities. A donation or a symbolic adoption can be made simply by a few ʽclicksʼ and can save a sea turtle being treated at Archelonʼs Rescue Centre, or support research at nesting sites in Zakynthos, Crete, and in the Peloponnese.
Translation by Joanne Stournara
'Explosion' of arrivals at the Rescue Centre
31st Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
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