Saving sea turtles

Every year, thousands of sea turtles are "accidentally" caught by fishermen. They get caught in their nets or get caught on fishing hooks. These losses further endanger the marine reptiles, which are already threatened with extinction.

In most cases, sea turtles are unwanted "bycatch" - animals caught incidentally using non-selective methods. However, they are occasionally seen as welcome additional prey and sold on the black market.

The turtle rescuers of Watamu, Kenya, have successfully initiated a program to free sea turtles from fishermen's nets and then release them back into the wild. The Action Group for Species Protection (AGA) eV supports the committed animal rights activists who work with the local fishermen. If a sea turtle gets caught in the fishermen's nets, you can call our colleagues from the sea turtle protection project. They will then pick up the turtle from the fisherman. The animals are examined and other data, such as size and weight, is recorded. They can usually be released onto the beach after a short time. If one of the turtles is injured, it is given medical care and nursed back to health until it can be released back into the wild. In this way, several thousand turtles that ended up as bycatch in fishing nets have already been rescued.

The AGA also supports turtle rescuers in protecting the nesting beach of Watamu in order to protect the sea turtles from disturbances and illegal activities during egg-laying and their nests. It also supports environmental education work in schools and educating tourists.