The Environmental Management Authority (EMA), through its Biodiversity Team, installed four new sea turtle nesting signs along Manzanilla Beach.
This initiative forms part of the ongoing efforts of the National Sea Turtle Task Force (NSTTF), led by the EMA, to enhance public awareness and promote the protection of critical nesting habitats, a media release said.
Manzanilla Beach is a vital nesting ground for the leatherback turtle – one of five species of sea turtles that nest in TT during the annual nesting season, which runs from March to August. All five species are designated as Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESS) by the EMA. The beach also falls within the Nariva Swamp Managed Resource Protected Area, a nationally designated Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), the release said.
The installation of the signs was made possible through community partnerships. The Manzanilla Wildlife Watch and Environmental Group and the Nariva Environmental Trust played key roles in identifying appropriate locations for the signage.
[caption id="attachment_1152774" align="alignnone" width="628"] Members of the SGRC during the installation of the sea turtle nesting signs which aim to strengthen conversation efforts at Manzanilla Beach. -[/caption]
Installation was supported by the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) which provided labour and logistical assistance. The SGRC also serves on the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) for ESSs and ESAs, supporting the EMA in the protection of the country’s most at-risk species and habitats, the release said.
The EMA is reminding the public that the preservation of sensitive habitats is critical during the turtle nesting season. Unauthorised activities that harm the environment, particularly involving ESSs or within ESAs, are subject to enforcement under Section 70(2) of the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 35:05 (the Act). The Act states:
“Any person who knowingly or recklessly undertakes or conspires to allow any activity in an environmentally sensitive area or with respect to an environmentally sensitive species designated under Section 41, which may have an adverse impact on the environment within such area or on such species, commits an offence.”
The act provides a fine of $100,000 and two years of imprisonment for contravention of this section.
The EMA is urging all stakeholders to follow the guidance on the newly installed signs to and to take responsibility for protecting the turtles.
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