Wikipedia

Sea Turtles 911

Sea Turtles 911 is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The organization was formed in Hawaii, in the United States, and operates primarily on Hainan island, China.[10][11][12] The organization directs actions towards public education, policy change through government and academic sources, support of conservation-focused ecotourism, and the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of endangered sea turtles.[13][14][15]

Sea Turtles 911
Founded2008 in Hawaii, United States
FounderFrederick Yeh
TypeNonprofit Organization
FocusSea turtle, Marine conservation
Location
MethodGrassroots
Websitewww.seaturtles911.org

Founding Director Frederick Yeh has said, "...if we can bring multiple sectors in our community together, it will be very beneficial to sea turtle conservation in China. It is my hope that we can put other issues aside and agree on sea turtle rights, for the advancement of sea turtle conservation."[16][17] Efforts are focused on the Hainan Island coastal regions, but educational projects do extend onto Mainland China and internationally. The organization is run almost entirely by volunteers. Operations see hundreds of volunteers, students, ecotourists, and sick and injured sea turtles passing through each year.[18]

History

edit

Sea Turtles 911 was founded by Frederick Yeh, who discovered that there were no longer nesting populations of sea turtles on the beaches of Hainan island as he once remembered from his childhood.[10][13] After graduating from Johns Hopkins University, Yeh returned to China to promote sea turtle conservation in a region where sea turtles are still being hunted for their meat and shell.[1][2][10][13][19][20] Some locals in Hainan now call him "Haigui" or "the returning sea turtle."[10][13]

Facility and location

edit

To quell the demand for sea turtle meat and products, Sea Turtles 911 initially began focusing on public awareness campaigns within the tourist resort city of Sanya, China, located on the southern tip of Hainan island. In order to raise awareness with local fishermen and rescue turtles, a sea turtle hospital was built in a floating fishing village in Lingshui Li Autonomous County, where the sea turtle black market was thriving.[21]

The organization's sea turtle hospital is a unique facility in that it is actually floating on the ocean water.[14][21][22][23][24] At the floating sea turtle hospital, sick and injured sea turtles are rehabilitated and recover inside large net enclosures, which are suspended by ropes tied to the deck above.[25][26][27]

Fishing villages all along the coast of Hainan likely contain many thousands of sea turtles in the hands of poachers. Despite the prevalence of poaching in the local fishing community, some local fishermen have befriended Sea Turtles 911 and Chinese coast guard police frequently assist in rescuing sea turtles from the hands of local poachers.[16][28][29]

Sea turtle use in China

edit

Due to a thriving market demand for sea turtle meat, eggs, and other shell products, a sign of status and wealth and believed to promote health and longevity, sea turtles are nearing extinction in Chinese waters.[30][31][32] Poached sea turtles include endangered Green sea turtles raised primarily for consumption of their meat, and the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle raised for the trade in their shell products such as jewelry, combs, and the frames of eyeglasses.[10][30][31][32]

Due to the over harvest of turtles in Chinese waters, it is believed increasing numbers of poachers are crossing international borders to illegally hunt sea turtles in the Philippines.[31][32][33] The trade of sea turtle meat and products is illegal in China as well as internationally.[13][34][35][36]

Activism

edit

Sea Turtles 911's mission is based on the 5 R's: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release, Research, Raise.[13]

  1. Rescue – sea turtles are rescued from poachers who capture and raise sea turtles for meat and shell products.[13]
  2. Rehabilitate – sea turtles that are rescued are often in need of medical attention for injuries, illnesses, and malnourishment.[13]
  3. Release – the ultimate goal for all injured sea turtles is eventual release back into their ocean home. Turtle release events are organized to raise public awareness.[13]
  4. Research – conservation research projects, such as tagging, sheds light into what happens to the sea turtles after releasing them into the ocean, so conservation efforts can be focused in the areas where turtles nest, forage, breed, and migrate.[13]
  5. Raise – through public events, outreach initiatives, ecotourism programs, and mass media, raising public awareness to educate people on the importance of sea turtles and how they can help save them, is vital to the success of sea turtle conservation.[13]


Sea Turtles 911 addresses conservation issues by educating the public and tourists about the many threats to sea turtles, encouraging people to discontinue consuming sea turtle meat and purchasing jewelry and items made from the shells of sea turtles.[2][13][15] Partnerships are also formed with local resorts, such as the Ritz-Carlton, Sanya, to educate hotel guests and their children about the importance of sea turtles to the environment.[1][2][15][37][38][39][40] In the Ritz's Giveback Getaway Program, tourists are invited to visit the floating hospital to meet the sea turtle patients, volunteer, and learn about sea turtle biology and conservation.[16]

Sea Turtles 911 works closely with local fishermen to encourage the conservation and release of Whale sharks caught as by-catch by Chinese fishing boats.[41]

The organization also partners with universities in Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, by bringing students from Hainan Normal University and Hainan University into the organization to conduct research and educational programs.[2][16]

Major events

edit

On January 7, 2011, the Ritz-Carlton and Sea Turtles 911 held a public sea turtle release event in which 7 sea turtles were released, in cooperation with Dr. Nicolas Pilcher, Co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Marine Turtle Specialist Group.[16][17][37][38][42]

On May 31, 2011, Sea Turtles 911 volunteers were assisted by local police in the release of a fully rehabilitated green sea turtle back into the ocean following treatment for an injured flipper that was damaged by a fishing vessel propeller.[43]

On October 1, 2011, world-renowned turtle zoologist Dr. Peter Pritchard and China's top turtle expert Dr. Shi Hai Tao of Hainan Normal University joined with Sea Turtles 911 and coast guard police to release a Hawksbill sea turtle in Lingshui, Hainan. The following day, three Green sea turtles were released in Sanya, Hainan, after an educational presentation by Dr. Pritchard and Dr. Shi.

On February 18, 2012, a tagged Green sea turtle was released at the Ritz-Carlton with George Balazs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).[15][44] At this event, Sea Turtles 911 introduced Nemo to the public, a newly rehabilitated sea turtle found entangled in discarded fishing line, requiring amputation of his right front flipper.[15]

On March 27, 2012, in cooperation with coast guard police, an adult female Green turtle named Star Blue,[45] was outfitted with a satellite transmitter tag and released.[11][12][14][46][47] This marked the organization's first conservation research effort to discover and protect areas where sea turtles feed and nest in the South China Sea.[11][12][14]


On May 27, 2012, in celebration of China's Children's Day, a juvenile Green turtle was released on Dadonghai Beach in Sanya, with the assistance of students from the National University of Singapore.[29]

On July 4, 2012, in partnership with Ocean Park Hong Kong and Hainan Normal University, a satellite tagged juvenile whale shark was released along with two juvenile Green sea turtles, one of which was also satellite tagged. The event was hailed as a 'Freedom Release', coincidentally occurring on American Independence Day.[48][49]

On March 23, 2013, two Green turtles were released in commemoration of Earth Hour, the one hour when the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) encourages businesses and households worldwide to switch off their lights to raise awareness on climate change.[50][51] Sea turtle eggs are influenced by a biological process known as temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning that their gender is determined by the environmental temperature.[52] Higher temperatures due to climate change result in an unbalanced sex ratio, threatening the long-term survival of marine turtles.[53]

On October 24, 2013, athletes from the Ladies European Tour (LET), China LPGA, and Ladies Asian Golf Tour, teed off by releasing two rescued sea turtles in Sanya, China; a Green sea turtle and a Hawksbill sea turtle.[54][55][56] Champion Lee-Anne Pace, upon her 2013 LET triumph, continued to champion the cause of the endangered sea turtles by officially adopting a baby sea turtle hatchling, which she named, Jagger.[57]

On January 18, 2014, government officials from the United States and China released three rescued sea turtles during the opening ceremony of the Sea Turtle Shelter, an educational facility to raise public awareness on environmental conservation issues, while providing a temporary home for rehabilitated sea turtles.[58] The event fostered a peaceful platform to improve China–United States relations by focusing on the shared global mission of saving sea turtles from extinction.[59][60] As U.S. Consul General Jennifer Galt said, “Our governments must continue to work together to develop policy and programs that protect our most precious resources, businesses must play an active role in responsible development, and groups like Sea Turtles 911 must continue to fight for protection of local resources like sea turtles through education and outreach.”[61]

On June 16, 2014, NBA player Yao Ming and his family joined Sea Turtles 911 to release rescued sea turtles back to nature.[62] "I think it’s very important to raise awareness in our country about protecting wild animals and passing it on to our next generation like my daughter," said Yao Ming.[63][64][65][2]

On October 30, 2014, during the Mission Hills golf tournament, Sea Turtles 911 presented NBA superstar Yao Ming with the World Sea Turtle Conservation Award.[66] Yao Ming continued to raise awareness for marine turtle protection, saying, "Sea turtles have an important role in the balance of our ocean's ecosystem."[67]


On June 8, 2015, five (5) rescued sea turtles were released from different beaches around Hainan island to maximize conservation awareness for World Oceans Day as recognized by the United Nations.[68]

On June 23, 2015, during the U.S.–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, the United States State Department and the National Development and Reform Commission agreed "for the first time, to tackle marine species, agreeing to collaborate in stemming the illegal trade in totoaba and sea turtles, share public education best practices, and work jointly on enforcement."[69][70][71] To move forward with this initiative, the United States and China announced their official support for Sea Turtles 911 and Hainan Normal University to "track sea turtle migration, help restore habitats, and foster community involvement in sea turtle protection,"[72] as part of the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships.[73][74][75][76][77][78]

On January 15, 2016, United States Ambassador to China and former U.S. Senator Max Baucus supported sea turtle conservation in South China's Hainan province with Sea Turtles 911.[79] Baucus released two satellite tagged turtles named Harvard and Yale into the South China Sea for conservation purposes.[80] According to Founder Frederick Yeh, the U.S. Ambassador's charitable act was recognized as symbolic because "Sea turtles are charismatic, migratory animals that serve as natural ambassadors of the ocean; as communities and countries work together to preserve this flagship species for future generations, our shared mission to save sea turtles nurtures a peaceful platform of common grounds to improve community and international relations."[81]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Ruggeri, Amanda. "The unlikely sea turtle saviour". bbc.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Westcott, Ben (August 28, 2017). "Could rare sea turtles return to the Hawaii of China?". CNN Travel.
  3. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 dedicated to sea turtle conservation - Xinhua | English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 Dedicated to Sea Turtle Conservation". english.cri.cn. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013.
  5. ^ F_100542. "Sea Turtles 911 dedicated to sea turtle conservation - People's Daily Online". english.people.com.cn. Retrieved 21 September 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Sea Turtle 911 - AsAm News". AsAm News.
  7. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 Dedicated to Sea Turtle Conservation - All China Women's Federation". www.womenofchina.cn.
  8. ^ "Asian Turtle Program". www.asianturtleprogram.org.
  9. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 - The Reptile Report". thereptilereport.com.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Paul Hilton Photography | Field Notes". Archived from the original on 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  11. ^ a b c "Indian Ocean - South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding". www.ioseaturtles.org.
  12. ^ a b c F_404. "NGO releases rare sea turtle into South China Sea - People's Daily Online". english.peopledaily.com.cn. Retrieved 21 September 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "China: Until the seas are safe again". Archived from the original on 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
  14. ^ a b c d "Satellite-tagged sea turtle released in Hainan". 28 March 2012.
  15. ^ a b c d e "IUCN & Sea Turtles 911 release tagged sea turtle in Sanya - What's on Sanya". www.whatsonsanya.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Indian Ocean - South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding". www.ioseaturtles.org. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  17. ^ a b "Seven Rescued Sea Turtles Released on Yalong Bay with the Support of Ritz Carlton". sanyaexpat.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  18. ^ "YCIS "Sea Turtles 911" Trip to Hainan Island". CNN iReport.
  19. ^ "Poachers with nearly 300 sea turtles nabbed". NBC News. 30 March 2007.
  20. ^ "wildlifeextra.com - wildlifeextra Resources and Information". www.wildlifeextra.com.
  21. ^ a b "Positions | Sea Turtles 911 | IE3 Global Internships". ie3global.ous.edu. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Floating hospital saves sea turtles - Xinhua | English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Floating hospital in China dedicated to caring for sea turtles". UPI.
  24. ^ 弓迎春. "Floating hospital saves sea turtles - China.org.cn". www.china.org.cn.
  25. ^ "Around China: Floating hospital saves sea turtles-chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
  26. ^ "Floating Hospital Saves Sea Turtles". english.cri.cn. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013.
  27. ^ "Sea Turtle - inotternews.com". inotternews.com.
  28. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 dedicated to sea turtle conservation (9/12) - Headlines, features, photo and videos from ecns.cn". www.ecns.cn.
  29. ^ a b "Sea Turtle Release Day at Sanya Dadonghai Beach - What's on Sanya". www.whatsonsanya.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). www.traffic.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ a b c "Sea Turtle Poaching and High Demand in China". pri.org. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  32. ^ a b c "Sea Turtle Poaching and High Demand in China". theworld.org. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  33. ^ "High demand for sea turtles in China sends poachers toward Philippines". Archived from the original on 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  34. ^ "Images by Paul Hilton document illegal turtle trade in China". 20 September 2010.
  35. ^ "Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill Turtle)". www.iucnredlist.org.
  36. ^ "Chelonia mydas (Green Turtle)". www.iucnredlist.org.
  37. ^ a b "China: Watch this video!". network.bestfriends.org. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  38. ^ a b "Sea Turtles 911 holds turtle release ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton, Sanya - What's on Sanya". www.whatsonsanya.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  39. ^ "The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya | Press Release". corporate.ritzcarlton.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Yeh for Games, Inc. Volunteers Team up with Ritz Carlton Sanya to Protect Endangered Sea Turtles". sanyaexpat.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  41. ^ "wildlifeextra.com - wildlifeextra Resources and Information". www.wildlifeextra.com.
  42. ^ "海南陵水新村港边防派出所开展"海龟回家"活动--法制网". www.legaldaily.com.cn.
  43. ^ ":: 新华网 :: - 地方联播". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  44. ^ "Animal photos of the day: green sea turtle saved in China". news.mongabay.com. 6 March 2012.
  45. ^ "Blog : STARBLU GREEN TURTLE SWIM SHORTS: SAVING THE OCEANS WE LOVE!". www.starblu.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  46. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 release satellite tagged sea turtle in Hainan - What's on Sanya". www.whatsonsanya.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  47. ^ "HNA Group: Other Projects". www.hnagroup.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  48. ^ "Freedom release: Whale shark and sea turtles in China". 5 July 2012.
  49. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 releases whale shark and sea turtles in Hainan - What's on Sanya". www.whatsonsanya.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  50. ^ "Sea turtles released during Earth Hour".
  51. ^ "The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya Holds Sea Turtle Conservation Efforts in Conjunction with 2013 Earth Hour". corporate.ritzcarlton.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  52. ^ Morreale, SJ; Ruiz, GJ; Spotila, JR; Standora, EA (1982). "Temperature-dependent sex determination: current practices threaten conservation of sea turtles". Science. 216 (4551): 1245–7. Bibcode:1982Sci...216.1245M. doi:10.1126/science.7079758. PMID 7079758.
  53. ^ "Sea Turtles Released During Earth Hour". blog.mongabay.com.
  54. ^ "Ladies Golf Magazine Summer 2013/14 Issue 20". Ladies Golf Magazine. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  55. ^ "三亚女子公开赛球星放生海龟 呼吁保护海洋环境". sports.sina.com.cn.
  56. ^ "Conservation and sport help turtles | Conservation | The Earth Times". www.earthtimes.org. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  57. ^ Magazine, Golf. "Golf - Golf Tournament Scores Big with Sea Turtle... -".
  58. ^ "SEA TURTLE SHELTER OPENING CEREMONY AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, SANYA - Hotel News and Events--Website of Hainan International Tourism Island". Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  59. ^ "U.S. Officials Release Sea Turtles In China".
  60. ^ "U.S. and China Release Sea Turtles into Disputed South China Sea". www.reptilesmagazine.com. 28 January 2014.
  61. ^ "Remarks by the Consul General | Embassy of the United States". guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  62. ^ "Yao Ming assists Sea Turtles 911". SFGate. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  63. ^ "Former basketball star Yao Ming calls for protection of sea turtles". South China Morning Post. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  64. ^ "NBA Star Yao Ming Saves Endangered Sea Turtles". Look to the Stars. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  65. ^ Mooney, Maria (2014-06-18). "Former NBA Star Yao Ming Saves Sea Turtles". Ecorazzi. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  66. ^ "Indian Ocean - South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding". www.ioseaturtles.org. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  67. ^ "Yao Ming Tees Off With Marine Turtle Conservation Message". Look to the Stars. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  68. ^ "World Oceans Day - 8 June". www.un.org. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  69. ^ "United States and China Highlight Cooperation on Combating Wildlife Trafficking at the 7th U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  70. ^ "U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue Outcomes of the Strategic Track". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  71. ^ "The United States and China: Protecting and Conserving the Ocean". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  72. ^ "U.S.-China EcoPartnerships Program". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  73. ^ "US, China Broaden Collaboration on Climate Issues". VOA. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  74. ^ "China-U.S. dialogue leads up to September summit". UPI. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  75. ^ "China, US launch new partnership programs to tackle environmental issues - China.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  76. ^ "U.S.-China EcoPartnerships Program (US Department of State)". World News. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  77. ^ "China, U.S. launch new partnership programs to tackle environmental issues - Xinhua | English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2015-10-16.[dead link‍]
  78. ^ "US-China partnership funds the rescue and restoration of sea turtles on Hainan Island". revitalizationnews.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  79. ^ "US ambassador sends New Year greetings in video-Americas-chinadaily.com.cn". usa.chinadaily.com.cn.
  80. ^ "Shell game".
  81. ^ "Sea Turtles 911 and U.S. Ambassador Release Endangered Sea Turtles in the South China Sea - EcoPartnerships". ecopartnerships.lbl.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Sea_Turtles_911&oldid=1238426832"