WWF Study Links Sea Turtles To Jobs

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

As sea turtle populations decline worldwide, so do the coastal economies that rely on the creatures to attract tourists, particularly in developing countries, according to a report released yesterday.

The study by the conservation organization WWF says tourism brings in almost three times the revenue as the sale of meat, leather and eggs from sea turtles. The report, the first to document the global value of the endangered animals, assessed 18 sites in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

At nine sites where turtles are used for their shells, meat and eggs, the average annual income derived from the products was just over $600,000. Alternately, at nine sites where turtles are a visitor attraction, the average annual income was nearly triple that at almost $1.8 million (Amanda Brown, London Independent, May 25).

Copyright, National Journal Group. Year 2004