A group of sea turtles off the coast of central Africa offered
scientists a lesson in international diplomacy this week. Marine
conservationists have been tracking olive ridley turtles via
satellite to prevent them from getting tangled in fishing nets.
Unfortunately, these ocean mariners regularly wash up on the
Atlantic shores of Gabon and the Republic of Congo , despite two
national parks meant to protect them. The deaths have perplexed
managers of Gabon’s Mayumba National Park and the Congo
Republic’s Conkouati-Douli National Park. So WCS and partners
began following the turtles’ whereabouts from high above. They
attached satellite transmitters to the shells of 18 female olive
ridleys to learn which waters they use during nesting season.
This is the most dangerous time for these sea turtles. The
closer they are to shore, the closer they come to the grasp of
fishing nets. “Thousands of olive ridley sea turtles are caught
every year in fishing nets along the coast of Central Africa,
yet we previously had no