The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has pledged support to a marine turtle conservation project in Panama on the east coast of Sri Lanka, to enable the expansion of the scope of the project from the Kumana village to Panakala Lagoon.
The project of Wildlife and Ocean Resource Conservation (WORC) of Sri Lanka spans 3kms of previously unprotected territory that is home to four species of turtles including the Videlicet Green, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles that will now be included in WORC’s conservation efforts.
The immediate objective of the programme is to protect the nests and eggs of these sea turtles from predators such as pigs, foxes, mongoose, spotted iguana and dogs.
Beach patrols by night and day, covering of nests with metal cages to protect them from wild animals, and training and converting egg collectors to nest protectors are some of the initiatives to be implemented to achieve the objective of the conservation programme. The overall aim of the project is to restore a degraded ecosystem and inspire a culture and community of environmental stewardship. Besides funding the project, the Bank will support WORC in its efforts to build partnerships with communities, raise education and awareness, and identify sustainable livelihoods and business opportunities associated with the project and kick-start associated activities.
The financial support offered by the Bank will be used to remunerate the project coordinator, and the field officials who will oversee the nest protection programme, to cover the travel, research, lodging and meals costs involved in project management, for the purchase of rechargeable torches and iron cages, and to conduct school awareness programmes and field visits to encourage involvement of the local community.
Wildlife and Ocean Resource Conservation initiated this turtle conservation project in 2013 at the Panama beach under the observation and instruction of Professor K. B. Ranawana and Vimukthi Veerathunga.
With financial support from supportive organisations it fulfilled its conservation objectives. Current conservation project under the MoU with Commercial Bank has resulted in the expansion of the protected territory by another 3km and has to date resulted in the release of 11,000 turtles.
The conservation initiatives of WORC in Panama are important because four of the seven species of sea turtles in the world come ashore to nest in Panama. Of these, the Leatherback has only been reported once after twenty years.
Wildlife and Ocean Resource Conservation is a not-for-profit organisation focused on conservation and ecosystem restoration in Sri Lanka.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon also provided financial support to ‘Koggala Mangrove Restoration and Conservation Project,’ last year.
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