PRETOMA

PRETOMA (programa restauracion de tortugas marinas) is a Costa Rican non-profit NGO that was founded in 1997.

The group consists of biologists, naturalists, conservationists, and volunteers who are dedicated to protecting and conserving sea turtles in their natural marine habitats, while also promoting sustainable fishery policies. Through conservation projects, research, public awareness, litigation and public advocacy, PRETOMA strives to conserve sea turtle populations and their natural habitats.

Mission

The mission of PRETOMA is to protect, conserve, and restore the populations of sea turtles and sharks that utilize the marine environment of Costa Rica by preserving the diverse habitats and international waters upon which they depend. To accomplish this mission, PRETOMA has worked with multiple coastal communities in Costa Rica to protect nesting beaches and also educate and integrate individuals into conservation efforts. PRETOMA also has worked with several on-board fisheries and international education programs and ground breaking campaigns.

History

PRETOMA began its first conservation efforts in 1996 at a small beach in Punta Banco, Costa Rica. These initial projects were first made possible through funding from organizations such as the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species and the Sea Turtle Restoration Project. Since these grants were inconsistent and hard to come by, PRETOMA initiated the PRETOMA Participant Program in 2002. The PPP integrated volunteers into the program whose fees helped fund continuing efforts and also allowed PRETOMA to launch new conservation efforts in San Miguel, Playa Caletas, Costa de Oro, and Ario in Costa Rica. The PPP has also funded the creation of the Playa Caletas Ario National Wildlife Refuge. The PRETOMA Participant Program has been a huge success in that it has funded expansive projects and has vastly improved sea turtle monitoring. It also granted the opportunity for people from around the world to take place in sea turtle conservation and assist in these efforts.

Species of concern

There are four species of sea turtles that nest along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica: the Olive Ridley (lepidochelys olivacea), green (chelonian nydas), hawksbill (eretmochelys imbrcata), and leatherback sea turtle (dermochels coriacea). All four species are listed on the World Conservation Union Red List as either endangered or critically endangered. Over the course of the last century, populations that once numbered hundreds of thousands of individuals has been reduced to just a couple of thousand, and few remain in their historical distribution.

Threats to sea turtle species

There are many factors that have contributed to this colossal decline in sea turtle populations. The consumption of turtle meat and eggs, the collection of turtle carapaces and fats for commercial use, loss of habitat due to increase construction of beach front hotels, the deterioration of nesting beaches, compaction of sand due to cars and foot traffic, and the extraction of sand from nesting areas for use in construction, have all had detrimental effect on the plight of these species of sea turtle_{Yarez 3}. However, one of the biggest issues that not only effects sea turtle populations but also entire marine ecosystems is the commercial fishing industry. Long-liners and shrimp trawlers kill hundreds of thousand of sea turtles as well as birds, fish cetaceans and pinnipeds every year.

Sharks

Other than sea turtles PRETOMA has also fight against shark finning int the waters of central America, the efforts of this and other organizations around the world, give an award to the costa rican president Abel Pacheco the award was named Sharks Biggest Enemy.

Conservation

All eight species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered on the U.S. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants List. It is illegal to harm or in any way interfere with a sea turtle or its eggs. The conservation of sea turtles around the world has been approached in a variety of different ways. Turtle Excluder Devices, developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, have proven to be very successful. The TED is a small, metal grid trapdoor inside a trawling net that allows shrimp to pass to the back while the turtles escape to safety before becoming entrapped or entangled. These devices have been required by federal law since 1989 to be installed in the nets of all U.S. fishing trawlers working in sea turtle habitats. Other efforts such as protecting nests and creating wildlife refuges, eradicating detrimental beach lighting, and managing sex ratios have also been used to protect all eight sea turtle species.

PRETOMA’s approach to conservation efforts

PRETOMA has approached these problems in a variety of ways. The first and sometimes most effective initial efforts that have been taken are biologist and conversationalists entering communities located near nesting beaches. Volunteers work to educate students on the importance of the persistence of the sea turtle and encouraging community members to partake in projects while still respecting their cultural practices such as the consumption of turtle meat and eggs. PRETOMA also works alongside the fishing industry to promote responsible fishing techniques. Introducing technologies such as turtle excluder devices, has huge effects on adolescent survival rates. PRETOMA is also evaluating the impact of the Pelagic Longline Fishery on sea turtles and sharks. Furthermore, PRETOMA is introducing technology to facilitate the release of marine organisms captured with hooks, thus mitigating the impact of longline fishing. In addition to this, promoting the PPP program and encouraging volunteers to assist in conversavtion efforts has allowed for continuing research and dedication from individuals from around the world.

"There are many people - 'heroes,' I call them - who work on the beaches and in the ocean to study and save these wonderful creatures, God's special gifts. It is difficult and sometimes dangerous work. It is always frustrating and sometimes rewarding. They need your help. This is a critical century in the history of sea turtles - in fact, the critical century for all of the earth's biodiversity. These beautiful swimmers have survived for 110 million years and yet are threatened with extinction after only a few centuries of exposure to humans. All seven species made it into the twenty-first century, and if we act, our grandchildren can look back and say that grandma and grandpa took a stand that got them through it. They will say that we saved the beaches, one beach at a time, that we stopped the slaughter in the oceans, one fishing boat at a time, one country at a time. They will say that we saved sea turtles from extinction. It can happen and we can do it...what ever you do, don't accept what might seem 'inevitable.' Extinction is not inevitable. Don't stand by while the last of these beautiful creatures disappears. Extinction is inevitable only if we sit back and watch it happen on the evening news. We have choices and we can make history. What do you want to leave your grandchildren? Get involved and make a difference. We can leave the world a better place than when we found it. Join us on the nesting beaches in either body or spirit. I'll be there, working and waiting." -James Spotila, Conversationalist

References

* PRETOMA, Programa Restauracion de los Tortugas Marinas, [tortugamarina.org] . 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007
* Protocol Manual. Punta Banco, Costa Rica. 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2007
* World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org/turtles/. 2007, Retrieved June 1, 2007
* Bustard, Robert. Sea Turtles: Their Natural History and Conservation. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., 1972.
* National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery Plan for Leatherback Turtles in the U.S. Caribbean, Atlantic, and gulf of Mexico. Washington, D.C.: national Marine Fisheries Service, 1992.