Conservation Partners Need your Help

MAP, in partnership with Naucrates, have established a Coastal Community Resource Center (CCRC) in Ban Lion Village on Phra Thong Island. Take a moment to read their special appeal, and if you can, please consider donating or helping to spread the word.

The effectiveness of Andaman Discoveries requires cooperation from many partners at the grassroots level, including the communities, NGOs, and sustainable enterprises. Two organizations that have been essential to conservation successes in this remarkable area of Thailand are the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) and Naucrates Sea Turtle Conservation.

These organizations need your support to help preserve the extraordinary biodiversity found within coastal ecosystems of the North Andaman region of Thailand. This area is increasingly threatened by unsustainable natural resource exploitation and development, the impacts of which not only affect the unique natural flora and fauna of the area, but the local fishing communities as well. A very real need exists for increased environmental awareness and education at the local level to create and secure sustainable livelihoods.

Labels: Ban Lion, conservation, Mangrove Action Project, Naucrates

Naucrates Shares Insights

We believe in maintaining an open dialogue with all of our partners. Naucrates has been our partner organization since the tsunami, and responded to a story in our April newsletter about releasing a baby sea turtle in Phuket. Turtle release events may vary drastically from one to another. The best bet is check with a reputable organization like Naucrates, who have a program to sponsor baby turtles and help this critically endangered species.

Dear Andaman Discoveries,

We receive your monthly newsletter and we are always impressed by the work that you are doing in Thailand. Reading the April newsletter, however, I felt sorry to read the article about turtles. The turtle releasing ceremony is very popular, and they are a great event to raise awareness but they are NOT a conservation tool!I am sure the person who had the opportunity to release the young turtle has not realized how hard it was for a green turtle hatchling (not leatherback as it is stated in the article) to be kept in the sun all day in the middle of thousands of people, at risk of dehydration...sea turtles are not social animals. There have even been cases of onlookers taking one of the baby turtles home.

Usually the turtles released are from Similan island, the only stable breeding population left in the Andaman sea). Turtles are known to go back and lay eggs on the same beach where they are born.... yet these babies are released on a totally different beach on a developed island.
I could continue, but the list would be too long... My opinion comes after years of working to save turtles swimming in the wild.....

Thank you for reading it,
Monica

Labels: endangered species, green turtle, Naucrates, sea turtle