Protect Marine Turtles in the Philippines

We the undersigned ask that you formulate an action plan to protect turtles and other wildlife from coastal development and careless practices in the tourist industry.

Five species of sea turtle inhabit the waters of the Philippines, including the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas), which nests on the country’s beaches. They all face a multitude of threats, of which the burgeoning tourist industry needs urgent attention.

While it is good that tourism is growing, it’s essential that the wildlife of the Philippines, which helps to attract the very tourists that the industry depends upon, doesn’t disappear in the process.

Marine turtles in particular are already under immense threat worldwide, with the destruction and disturbance of nesting beaches being one of the main causes. Protecting the turtles is crucial not just in terms of conservation but also for the medium to long term sustainability of the tourist industry.

Please take immediate action to ensure that the five species of turtle found in Filipino waters don’t disappear along with the beaches.

Thank you for your attention.

Tourism in the Philippines is booming, which is good news for the economy but could spell disaster for turtles. All seven species of marine turtle are under threat, and five of them swim in Filipino waters.

Coastal tourism threatens the turtles through development, disturbance and pollution. Even general carelessness from both tourists and service providers plays a part. For example, there’ve been cases of hotel managers tying nesting turtles to trees or putting them in tanks, hardly a responsible way to exploit an attraction.

Carefully managed eco-tourism can be a lifesaver for marine life. People paying money to see wild animals gives struggling economies strong motivation to protect their wildlife. Letting developers do whatever they please, however, leads to the wholesale destruction of marine ecosystems.

The Philippines government needs to introduce tough protection measures now, to protect not only marine animals but also the people that depend on them.

Tell the government to crack down on irresponsible tourist developments and practices immediately.