Saving 1 million turtles worldwide by new global TUI Turtle Aid programme

Α Decrease font Enlarge font
Saving 1 million turtles worldwide by new global TUI Turtle Aid programmeFirst partnerships with local NGOs in Greece, Turkey and Cape Verde

Berlin, 20 June 2018. As one of the TUI Care Foundation's key environmental programmes, TUI Turtle Aid will protect the welfare of 1 million new-born turtles by 2020. To kick off the programme the foundation has now joined forces with local organisations on Cape Verde, Turkey and Greece. In the months to come the programme will be expanded to more regions all over the world. It will also entail innovative research and protection methods which will help to protect the endangered global sea turtle population.

The world recently celebrated the Sea Turtle Day on 16th June. This date aims to raise awareness for these ancient creatures reminding us of their importance for our ecosystem. Sea turtles are a globally protected species and conservation studies have been carried out for decades in many countries.

Sea turtles eat and live in the water but move to the land to lay their eggs. Consequently they are exposed to numerous threats. From suffocation due to ingesting plastic bags as they confuse them with jellyfishes -on which they regularly feed - to poachers who hunt them down or irresponsible beach use that may lead to the destruction of turtle nests and the killing of hatchlings. Furthermore, bycatch, coastal development, climate change, consumption and (illegal) trade are also critical factors. Despite intensive work, many of these key threats to sea turtle populations still remain.

As a matter of fact, six of the seven marine turtle species are today considered critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Moreover, according to experts, only 1 in 1000 baby turtles survives to adulthood under natural conditions.

To kick off the TUI Turtle Aid programme TUI Care Foundation has initiated partnerships with local organisations on the Cape Verdean islands of Sal and Boa Vista, in Greece as well as in Turkey to protect the environment of sea turtles - Project Biodiversity and BIOS.CV on the two islands of Cape Verde, Archelon in Greece and DEKAMER in Turkey. 

The beautiful coastlines of Cape Verde, Greece and Turkey are not only popular destinations to visit but also host large populations of sea turtles. These turtles fulfil vital functions in the various marine ecosystems, contributing to the health of the ocean environment. Such functions range from maintaining productive coral reef ecosystems and seagrass beds, to transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to the beaches and costal dunes.

Programme will further expand its global footprint and develop innovative ways to protect endangered animals

The project regions are selected in order to maximize the impact of the programme on the global sea turtle population. For example, the Cape Verde archipelago supports the third largest Loggerhead nesting populations in the world, and the second most important in the Atlantic Ocean overall. Five of the seven existing marine turtle species can be found in the Cape Verdean waters. Various threats, such as poachers, by-catch, as well as climate change - that is causing severe egg mortality on the nesting beaches - have also made of Cape Verde the host to one of the eleven most threatened populations of sea turtles in the world.

In order to tackle these problems, TUI Care Foundation supports local projects which aim to protect turtle’s nests on the beaches, increase hatchling survival rate and engage the community and local stakeholders in protecting Sal Island’s marine turtle population. In addition, ongoing outreach and engagement programmes help to strengthen local capacity in terms of on turtle conservation competencies.

Activities undertaken include early morning and night patrols, as well as relocation of doomed nests into hatcheries, rehabilitation of sick or injured turtles, and environmental educational programmes in schools. Local tour guides are also taught about best practices on turtle watching excursions and stands are placed in partnering hotels where volunteers raise awareness of the importance of protecting turtles and give practical advice to visitors to help them enjoy their holidays in a responsible manner. The involvement of hotel partners is crucial in order to foster responsible beach use, waste management and promote sustainable excursions. 

TUI Care Foundation's global emergency relief activities to focus on support for UNICEF

With recently-approved legislation expanding the scope of national protection for sea turtles and their nesting areas, 2018 marks a pivotal moment for sea turtle conservation in Cape Verde. Support from the TUI Care Foundation will provide critical resources to ensure both organisations can continue to build on existing programmes and further broaden their impact.

The TUI Turtle Aid project in Greece not only engages in monitoring and research, but also in public awareness. Actions include assessment of impacts of climate change in Loggerhead sub-populations and info contributions to the photo identification database of sea turtles of the Mediterranean. Public awareness activities for schools and local communities will be offered to visitors to the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada and in other coastal urban centres close to nesting beaches, such as Kalamata, Kyllini and Heraklion. Most importantly however, conservationists will liaise with local enterprises and the tourism industry in Chania Bay and Rethymnon Bay on Crete and South Kyparissiakos Bay in the Peloponnese, for the implementation of management measures on the Loggerhead nesting beaches. It is expected that more than 60.000 loggerhead hatchlings per year will be successfully entering the Mediterranean from those beaches.

On the beaches of Dalyan, Dalaman-Sarıgerme and Fethiye in Turkey the project to protect and rehabilitate sea turtles lays a special emphasis on involving the various stakeholder groups in the turtle protection activities - from national and regional government to local businesses and visitors. As part of the project, injured turtles found along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey are also brought to a rescue centre to receive medical treatment and support rehabilitation. DEKAMER also develops many international research and conservation projects, including the satellite tracking of turtles, sex ratio estimation of turtles under global warming, genetic differences of sea turtles on various beaches and mitigation studies on fisheries by-catch issues, among others.

Further activities of the TUI Turtle Aid programme will be launched in the course of the year.

About the TUI Care Foundation

Building on the potential of tourism as a force for good, the TUI Care Foundation supports and initiates partnerships and projects which create new opportunities for the young generation and contribute to thriving destinations all over the world. Connecting holidaymakers to good causes, the TUI Care Foundation fosters education and training initiatives to open up new opportunities and perspectives for young people, the protection of the natural environment in holiday destinations and sustainable livelihoods in thriving destinations where local communities can benefit even more from tourism. TUI Care Foundation works global and acts local - it builds on strong partnerships with local and international organisations to create meaningful and long lasting impact. The charitable foundation values transparency and the efficient use of funds. Therefore; 100% of the donations go to partners and projects with all operating costs of the foundation covered by TUI. TUI Care Foundation was founded by TUI, the world’s leading tourism business, in 2011 and is based in the Netherlands.

RELATED TOPICS: GreeceGreek tourism newsTourism in GreeceGreek islandsHotels in GreeceTravel to GreeceGreek destinations Greek travel marketGreek tourism statisticsGreek tourism report


Tornos
  1. 26/05 22:16

    Former Archbishop of America honored by National Kapodistrian University of Athens

  2. 26/05 20:25

    Newton Shows and St. Paul Cathedral to jointly present Long Island Greek Festival

  3. 26/05 15:32

    Reuters report: Greek bonds trading as though they already have investment grade

  4. 25/05 20:53

    New ministers in caretaker government announced ahead of second elections in Greece

  5. 25/05 20:08

    Greek professor wins WHO annual award for anti-smoking campaign efforts

  6. 25/05 17:12

    Hike in coronavirus infections and flu cases with 52 deaths In Greece

  7. 25/05 14:58

    Moody's forecast: New ND government in Greece will be 'credit positive'

  8. 24/05 21:27

    New public art exhibit flutters into Greektown of Chicago on June 2

  9. 24/05 20:36

    European Commission: Greece should continue implementing recovery plan consistently

  10. 24/05 18:18

    Deadline to file taxes is extended in Greece to July 31 by Finance Ministry

  11. 24/05 12:31

    State Department: Our cooperation with Greece strengthens NATO and makes the region safer

  12. 24/05 09:14

    ELSTAT: Hospitality enterprises' turnover grows 28.6% in Greece during Q1

  13. 24/05 00:22

    Unemployment drops 7.1% in Greece during April

  14. 23/05 22:19

    Greek PM: Higher salaries a main focus of second-term New Democracy government

  15. 23/05 19:14

    Greek Foreign Minister Dendias visiting Brussels and honored by AHEPA

  16. 23/05 19:06

    Lamda Development announces deal to build first Mandarin Oriental hotel in Athens

  17. 23/05 16:09

    Athens Acropolis Museum in 'Green Cultural Routes' action this weekend

  18. 23/05 13:24

    DBRS: Sunday's vote could lead to credit improvements for Greece

  19. 22/05 21:32

    Wall Street Journal: Greek voters rewarded ruling party's pro-business push

  20. 22/05 21:16

    Traffic to be restricted on Alexandras avenue in downtown Athens as of May 23

  21. 22/05 20:23

    OANA meeting on May 24 over sustainable power generation and summer youth activities

  22. 22/05 19:26

    US State Department congratulates Greece on Sunday's electoral results

  23. 22/05 14:35

    Athens Stock Exchange rises 7.11% after election results

  24. 21/05 16:41

    Media: Greece recovers hundreds of stolen artifacts including Alexander’s statue

  25. 21/05 15:51

    Participation of Greek voters in today's elections at 31,52% so far

  26. 21/05 11:38

    Reduced power tariffs in Greece announced for June

  27. 20/05 18:30

    City of Athens presents Ecumenical Patriarch with its highest distinction

  28. 20/05 14:22

    Polls open for Diaspora Greeks in historic first for the country

  29. 20/05 14:11

    Greece prepares for election day on Sunday

  30. 19/05 21:53

    Greece's Interior Ministry releases practical information for voters

  31. 19/05 20:09

    Zappeion press center open in central Athens as of 9:00 am Saturday

  32. 19/05 19:59

    National e-Mobility Plan posted for public consultation in Greece to June 16

  33. 19/05 16:00

    New cases of SARS-CoV-2 slightly up in Greece

  34. 18/05 23:55

    Greek Prime Minister: Thessaloniki Metro commitment met successfully

  35. 18/05 21:18

    Safety Audit for Ground Operations reaches 15 years of advancing aviation safety

  36. 18/05 18:51

    Athens Megaron Garden events this summer with Lena Platonos feature, opera screenings

  37. 18/05 11:42

    International Museum Day with free entrance and special events in Greece

  38. 18/05 00:02

    UNWTO identifies priorities for promoting rural tourim potential

  39. 17/05 22:03

    International Air Transport Association: Bookings points to strong peak season travel

  40. 17/05 17:07

    Greek Maritime Golf Event, the best golf tournament returns for its 9th year

  41. 17/05 15:17

    Green light for the construction of Panathinaikos Stadium in Votanikos of Athens

  42. 17/05 14:43

    Greek firms announce deal for developing renewable energy projects in Egypt

  43. 17/05 14:26

    Greece auctions 10-year and 15-year bonds with success

  44. 16/05 22:22

    Greek FM: Greece and Turkey could create 'a burst of opportunities and growth'

  45. 16/05 22:15

    The Global Greek Film Initiative holds Inaugural Benefit Event on May 4th

  46. 16/05 18:58

    Greece requests new €1.72 billion disbursement from EU's Recovery Fund

  47. 16/05 16:48

    Focus Africa Conference to boost aviation’s contribution to African Development

  48. 16/05 13:07

    Athens Chamber of Commerce: New type of consumer is emerging

  49. 15/05 20:57

    Greece launches research center for management of stranded marine animals

  50. 15/05 17:02

    Prince Albert II of Monaco to visit the island of Elafonissos on May 29

  51. 15/05 16:09

    Greek budget recorded 2.434 billion euros primary surplus in January-April

  52. 15/05 09:13

    The President of the Hellenic Republic visiting Iceland on May 15-17

  53. 14/05 16:06

    Diaspora Greeks to vote on May 20

  54. 14/05 15:14

    Greek Tourism Minister expects 2023 sector performance to top last year by 10-20%

  55. 13/05 22:01

    UNWTO organizes executive training on tourism for rural growth in Middle East

  56. 12/05 22:22

    Greek PM from Rhodes: South Aegean has had highest population growth in Greece

  57. 12/05 21:26

    Dr. Jigang Bao clinches UNWTO Ulysses Prize for excellence in tourism scholarship

  58. 12/05 21:03

    Greek sites and museums change open hours on May 21

  59. 12/05 14:19

    Fitch: Greek Stability Programme records strong improvement in public finances

  60. 12/05 11:09

    Greek FM participating in the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers "Gymnich"

  61. 11/05 19:33

    Rise in coronavirus infections and drop in flu cases in Greece

  62. 11/05 18:25

    Diaspora Greeks abroad to cast their vote on Saturday, May 20

  63. 11/05 17:36

    Greek PM champions vision for thriving cities: Trikala leading the way (video)

  64. 11/05 14:41

    Ambassador to Athens: French and Greek defence industries must cooperate

  65. 11/05 00:05

    Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady sets sail to Greek islands on maiden voyage

  66. 10/05 23:44

    Applications for personal assistant program for the disabled now open in Greece

  67. 10/05 22:40

    New app 'Cosmote Chronos' reanimates the Athens Acropolis before the viewer's eyes

  68. 10/05 22:13

    UNWTO’S issues new assessment of Covid pandemic-related travel restrictions

  69. 10/05 19:30

    Greece ranks 2nd globally after winning 2023 Blue Flag award for coasts and marinas

  70. 10/05 16:57

    IATA: US passenger compensation rule will raise costs but not solve delays

  71. 10/05 14:53

    Prices fell or stayed level for 95.69% of 'Household Basket' products in Greece

  72. 10/05 14:49

    Greek inflation rate dropped to 3.0% in April

  73. 09/05 20:50

    Mandatory training of police officers in animal rights begins in Greece on Wednesday

  74. 09/05 19:30

    Consul General in New York organized event for Greek art collector

  75. 09/05 18:35

    No tolls on Greek highways for private vehicles on election weekend May 20-22

  76. 09/05 18:25

    Acropolis Museum marks International Museum Day

  77. 09/05 14:17

    Europe Day and European Year of Skills event organized in Athens on Tuesday

  78. 09/05 00:03

    IATA: CNS Partnership Conference to focus on maintaining air cargo momentum

  79. 08/05 23:16

    Greek and US military aircraft to fly over the Athens Acropolis on Tuesday

  80. 08/05 18:10

    Greek National Tourism Organization wins award at 38th Seoul International Travel Fair

  81. 08/05 16:26

    Greek State Minister signs cooperation agreement with French Transport Minister

  82. 08/05 14:18

    International Defence Exhibition DEFEA 2023 opens in Athens on Tuesday noon

  83. 08/05 11:14

    Registrations are now open for Run Bike Care

  84. 07/05 22:31

    IATA statement on the end of COVID as an international public health emergency

  85. 07/05 21:38

    Ecumenical Patriarchate Archons in Chicago organize 8th Annual Business Meeting

  86. 07/05 19:45

    Elon Musk’s mother sees Greece’s rich potential for affluent tourists

  87. 07/05 16:34

    Greek State Minister to receive French counterpart in Athens on Monday

  88. 07/05 15:41

    Works unfolding anew at Greece's Elefsina shipyards to restore full capacity docking

  89. 06/05 23:49

    Bank of Greece: Interest rate spread between deposits and loans up in March

  90. 05/05 22:09

    US Ambassador to Athens visits American pavillion at Thessaloniki book fair

  91. 05/05 21:22

    Bloomberg report: UK should follow Pope's example and return Parthenon Marbles

  92. 05/05 20:12

    Leonidas AHEPA Chapter 77 organizes Annual Greek Night in New York

  93. 05/05 19:15

    Exhibition showcases West Attica University student art work at Athens Airport

  94. 05/05 18:18

    Greek poet Cavafy remembered through Onassis Foundation’s Archive of Desire

  95. 05/05 00:11

    Lamda Development: Revenue from property in Ellinikon to surpass €500 million in 2023

  96. 04/05 21:09

    Iconic Athens cinemas Astor and Ideal declared protected by environment ministry

  97. 04/05 20:20

    Cat, dog owners now required to submit DNA sample of non-neutered pets in Greece

  98. 04/05 19:00

    Restoration work approved for mausoleum on former royal estate of Tatoi near Athens

  99. 04/05 16:24

    Ministers of Greece and Israel determined to further boost bilateral strategic relations

  100. 03/05 23:45

    Greek Prime Minister: We want to radically reform the national health system