World shame

that is the most disgusting activities i have ever seen, i have just signed up to protect

the turtles in cyprus, i am going to email them with this, thanks for posting. best regards mac

That is apalling, makes me so cross to see such destruction of the future.

I can't believe that it wouldn't be more £ viable to have some tourists visit to see the spectacle of the turtles - laying + then the hatchlings going to the sea. Offering accomadation, food, crafts etc that could be associated with this annual event, instead they are plundering what will be a depleting resourse rather than protecting it + their own long term future.

Surprised that the person who took the photos was able to do so as freely.

It really made me feel sick in the stomach...........and then, very very angry indeed!

Hi Johnboy

I echo Osprey's comment  about the person who took these photos. Photo 10 looks like the photographer was sussed.

Do you know who took these photos?

And do you know if the authorities in Costa Rica have reacted to this evidence of illegal activity?

Thanks

Pipit

Looking at the number of people involved and the time of day, it makes you wonder if this is illegal in Costa Rica.  I can't really expand on what has already been said. It's obscene.

RK

Hi Pipit.

Unfortunately I don't know who took the photo's, or if the Costa Rica authorities have reacted in any way, as I only received it today in a email from friends of mine, and the email had not been cleaned ( all the other precipitant email addresses are still in the email ) there are about forty others that received it before me which I still have, and on investigation the first one was sent on the 12th October 2010. I have telephoned my friends and all they can say is, that is came through a friend of a friend of a friend.

Sorry, not much information to go on there.

John.

Hi all

I also think it's obscene. It's an absolute disgrace.

If no-one bought these eggs then there would be no trade in them, so who the heck is buying them and why?

Looking more closely at the photographs, there are undeniably tourists wandering around the beach. also one lady is carrying a camera around her neck, so it make one wonder if Red Kite is right.

(QUOTE) Red Kite

Looking at the number of people involved and the time of day, it makes you wonder if this is illegal in Costa Rica.  I can't really expand on what has already been said. It's obscene.

Very sad but its important that these pictures can highlight a scandalous trade and be distrubuted by means of this forum and others around the world and other media.

One question would be, what countries are these eggs sold too?

Supply and demand for people in poor areas will drive them to such extremes as seen; so it is up to the governments of these countries to ban and illegalise these trades before it is too late.

All we can hope for is that people in high up places act and act now!

Thanks for sharing this info Johnboy, I will definately sign any petition that can help put pressure on for a total ban.

Regards

Craig

I did some searches on this and found some info that states that it is LEGAL and aproved by the Costa Rican goverment:

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/costa-rica-turtle-eggs.shtml

http://www.pacificlots.com/Costa-Rica-Blog/bid/33051/Turtle-Eggs-in-Costa-Rica-10-Ways-to-Eat-Them

http://ticotimes.com/costa-rica/poaching-sea-turtle-eggs-poll

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/seaturtles.asp

Its a debatable argument for and against but apprantly the legal harvest of Olive Ridley sea turtle eggs on Ostional wildlife refuge in Costa Rica is for conservation purposes being that the harvest is monitored and that only a cetain amount of harvesting can be made within a time scale.

This has said to have had a positive effect on the numbers of Olive Ridley sea turtles rather than letting the locals harvest them when they wanted and wherever they wanted.

I still think that our sheer greed as a species is proven by the bags full that are taken.

Thanks

Craig