According to a recent report from federal environmental officials in Mexico City, despite nearly two decades of conservation efforts, the world's biggest sea turtle species, the leatherback turtle, continues to disappear from Mexican waters and is sliding toward extinction worldwide. The leatherback can grow 6-8 feet long and weigh between 1,200 and 1,500 pounds. In Mexico, an adult population of 115,000 in 1982 dwindled to between 20,000 and 30,000 by 1996, officials told reporters.

"If we don't do something, we could lose the species in a very short time," said Oscar Ramirez, director of field operations for the wildlife division of the federal environmental prosecutor's office, Profepa.

Efforts to protect the leatherback have slowed its rate of disappearance, but the species probably won't begin recovering for at least 15 years, said Luis Fueyo, Profepa's director of inspections. Laws designed to protect sea turtles in Mexico were first approved in 1988 and were tightened last year. Those caught trafficking turtles now can face up to nine years in prison. During 139 sting operations in 2003, federal agents confiscated 231,975 turtle eggs and 101 products made using turtles and arrested 59 people. Through April of this year, federal laws had been used to prosecute nine people, Fueyo said.

How is SFS helping address this threat to sea turtles?
In addition to turtle conservation and research projects conducted by SFS students and scientists, our Center for Coastal Studies in Mexico has been awarded $24,000 by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support a project on community conservation of sea turtles in Bahia Magdalena, Mexico.

This is an important addition to our increasing focus on the sustainability of this important population and will allow our students to work directly on issues critical to the turtles' survival.

SFS Program in Mexico
The course, taught from our field station on Bahia Magdalena - one of the world's largest and most important habitats for several species of endangered sea turtles, including Loggerheads, Olive Ridleys and the rare Hawksbill turtles - will concentrate on conserving the highly threatened East Pacific Green Turtle. These turtles use the Bay as a nursery area and feeding habitat but they suffer a high degree of both natural and human-induced mortality. Despite strong regulations against their exploitation, Green turtles are still frequently poached and caught as by-catch in the harvesting of other marine resources. A complex interaction of community social and cultural factors, lack of protected area sanctuaries, lack of enforcement of existing regulations and economic hardship in local communities has led to the continued exploitation and the rapid decline of sea turtle populations throughout Mexico.

Students will gather data to help understand the condition of the various habitats of the Bay that are critical to the turtles' lifecycle, monitor the demographic and behavioral characteristics of turtle populations, and gain more insight into the role of the turtle in the social, cultural and economic lifestyle of the local community. Students' work will contribute to the development of a conservation and management plan for the sea turtle in partnership with the local community and the relevant governmental agencies.

Fall is baby turtle hatching season in Mexico! Program dates: September 13 - December 16, 2004.
To Apply for this program

For more information about our semester program in Mexico:
Mexico Program
Read about students currently on this program

Or contact Lili Folsom, Director of Admissions and Alumni Services, or call us at 800-989-4418.

 

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