Here’s an update from the field in Boavista: Subject: Slowly slowy getting there… BOA ESPERANÇA (Good Hope)!
Dear friends,
The first turtles arrived a few weeks ago, filling our teams with hopes and expectations of a great season. With adequate funding, a team of local assistants formed, and a dedicated group of camp coordinators, we could only hope that the season would start smoothly and without any major trouble. However, falling victims of heavy bureaucracy around the shipment and arrival of the containers coming from Germany with all our field equipment and camp material (more that 1 month late), we have experience many logistical difficulties in establishing the camps in time. To the expense of many turtles that we are failing to protect, the team has been feeling frustrated and angry with the situation. Nevertheless, we are happy to announce that we finally established a basic camp in Boa Esperança beach, providing protection to the nesting beaches from Sunday night on. We hope that soon we will have the conditions to set up the camp in Curral Velho beach, to provide also protection to one of our most problematic beaches, Lacacão, where turtles are, unfortunately, being slaughtered already.
We really appreciate the support that many people have been giving us in this moment of trouble, and although nothing will bring the killed turtles back to life, we eagerly expect the time when we move to Curral Velho and complete our protection project. In the meantime, we are happy to inform all that patrols are also running at a daily basis in the beaches of Canto and Norte (since the last week of June), reporting only one dead turtle so far in Norte, a result extremely positive so far!!! Stay in touch for an update on the situation, and wish our team luck!
Turtle Foundation
