Farida, Jamila, Saida and all our sea turtle friends are threatened with extinction! Pollution, illegal fishing and climate change are the main culprits! But reader, why is it so important to preserve marine turtles? Here are five reasons to convince you!
1. Because they regulate marine ecosystems: this little gourmand eats sponges and jellyfish, cleaning our seas and freeing coral, allowing fish access to the reef to feed.
2. Without them, there will be no more tuna in our kitchens.
Our friends’ favourite snack is seaweed, whose grazing helps to maintain the diversity of seagrass beds and, consequently, the biodiversity of associated species such as tuna and shrimp!
3. Without them, there would be no tourism!
Mass tourism threatens our turtle friends, but paradoxically, without them, there would be no tourism, because there would be no reef! Preserving the well-being of turtles is also essential for the future of the tourism sector.
The tourism sector will have to move towards a recreational industry centered on leisure activities around coral reefs, such as diving. This type of tourism is worth over 12 billion dollars a year!
4. Tunisia has a special role to play in protecting sea turtles
The Kuriat Islands, northeast of the Cape of Monastir, are one of the last refuges for sea turtle egg-laying. They are one of the main nesting sites of the Caretta caretta turtle in the southern Mediterranean.
