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May 2006
CEA Electronic Communications are in English and Spanish. Para leer este boletín en español, favor de pulsar aquí.
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World Turtle Day – May 23
by Alma Boada
Turtles' passivity does not exempt them from human abuse. Turtles are the most prized pet reptiles. Their flesh is eaten in many parts of the world, and used in alternative medicines. Furthermore they suffer from pollution and loss of habitat.
May is considered “turtle month” because so many species either end hibernation or begin mating and nesting. Since the year 2000, May 23 is celebrated as World Turtle Day. Remember, you can make a difference. Help us prevent their extinction.
Sea Turtle Season 2006 – May Update
by Armando Lorences
Turtle season has begun, so we’d like to remind you of the following guidelines:-
Do not walk along the beach with lit flashlights after 9:00 p.m.
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Do not leave chairs, toys, or any other object that may obstruct the turtles' paths on the beach.
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Please turn off exterior lights that face the beach and/or cover them with a red filter.
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If you see a turtle on the beach, do not shine your lights on it, nor approach it. Inform CEA of your observations.
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If you witness a nesting, please mark the site and inform CEA staff.
We’d also like to let you know that we’ve had four nests and two sightings so far, and the two we saw were in perfect health.
We thank you in advance for your support during this season. To read more environmental tips, click here.
Earth Day
To commemorate Earth Day, CEA joined forces with Transformar Educando and local authorities to organize clean-ups of local beaches, streets and parks. With help from tourists and residents, we reinforced in each of the participants the importance of keeping our planet clean.
We thank all the businesses who helped us by donating trash bags, fruit, water and prizes for those who participated in these efforts. We also thank the schools for their constant support of CEA’s efforts to raise awareness among our community’s children, so that they may live in a cleaner environment.
Don't Harass the Turtles, Don't Touch the Reef
by David Nuñez
These simple guidelines may seem obvious to anyone who reads our newsletter, but certain recent and alarming events have shown us that not all visitors to Akumal are aware of the basic steps we all need to follow to guarantee the well-being of the creatures that make our Akumal such a special place.
We’d like to remind everyone that wild animals can’t distinguish between the grabbing hands of an overly curious tourist and the grasp of a predator. A turtle that is chased, grabbed onto, touched or otherwise provoked is a turtle that is frightened for its life. If the turtles in our bays no longer feel safe, they may choose not to return. Furthermore, it is a federal offense in México to touch an endangered species without proper authorization to do so. Touching a sea turtle is hardly worth spending time in jail and wrestling with the Mexican legal system.
In addition, we’d like to remind everyone that coral is a very fragile, living organism that is easily damaged and killed by touch, and that fishing is prohibited in the bays.
On a more positive note, we were encouraged by the expressed concern of many Akumal residents and long-time visitors who immediately pledged support for a new information campaign to raise awareness among tourists and locals alike. We look forward to working with all of you in the following weeks, and hope to have more to report on this issue by next month. In the meantime, we ask that you help us spread the word any way you can. If you would like to join others who have pledged their financial support, you may contribute or become a member.
Support for Regional Students and Coral Reef Monitoring
by Lucy Gallagher-Freymuth
During the month of April, the Marine and Coastal Protection Program was awarded two highly anticipated grants to support its projects.
First, the program received a PADI Foundation grant to help build local and regional capacity in coastal ecosystem conservation. This grant will go towards funding stipends for volunteer applicants from México, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.
In addition, the program received a long-awaited grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This award will principally go towards the implementation of the program’s scientific monitoring program, with the assistance of its team of volunteers.
Thank you to the PADI Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their generous financial participation and the support that they have shown towards the implementation of the Marine and Coastal Protection Program.
Who Is That Guy?
We’d like to introduce José Candelario Chan Cocom. He can translate any date, e.g. birthdays or anniversaries, into Mayan Calendar hieroglyphs for you. He approached us recently about letting him sell these souvenirs at CEA. José now helps out in the Information Center in exchange for the space we give him to sell his goods. He also will be giving a brief presentation, Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m., on the Mayan number and calendar system. Stop by and say hello, and take the opportunity to learn a little about the most accurate calendar in the world.
Dune Restoration
by Mauricio Bautista
We began planting seeds in the coastal dune plant protection area next to Hotel Akumal Caribe. The plants we are trying to grow have been recovered from areas where they are being eliminated by development. We hope that this coastal dune plant protection area will allow us to learn more about this type of vegetation and help us recover the lost dune. We also hope that the public will enjoy identifying these native plants, which in a few years could be in danger of vanishing from the area.
An Easy Guide to Sport Fishing Rights, According to Mexican Law
by Rafael González-
Sport fishing is only permitted for fin fish. Capture of crustaceans, mollusks, marine mammals, reptiles and amphibians is prohibited.
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Only one fishing rod, fishing line or hand line, with bait or lure, is allowed per sport fisher. The resistance of the fishing line cannot exceed 60 kilograms.
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For deep-sea fishing, only one fishing rod or fishing line with up to four hooks in a vertical line is permitted per fisher.
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The maximum number of specimens caught per day is 10 per fisher. Of this number only five specimens of the same species are allowed.
With regard to marlin, sailfish, swordfish and shark, the maximum allowed catch is only one specimen, which is equivalent to five specimens of any other species.
In the case of tarpon, dolphin fish and roosterfish, the maximum allowed catch is two specimens of either of these species, which is equivalent to five specimens of any other species. -
Underwater (spear) fishing is allowed only if free diving (i.e., it is prohibited to fish while SCUBA diving). When spear fishing, only five specimens of any fish species are allowed per diver/day.
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Fishing is prohibited during closed seasons; within 250 meters of the edge of beaches frequented by swimmers; within 250 meters of vessels dedicated to commercial fishing; and in zones that are natural refuges, reserves or protected areas. This means no fishing the Akumal bays, where people swim and snorkel all the time.
by Alma Boada
The Mexican Caribbean coastline was once home to a large population of manatees. Now endangered, manatees are marine mammals that can weigh up to 2,000 lbs. and measure close to 12 feet in length. Like whales, their huge bodies can only be supported in an aquatic environment. On land, their body weight would crush their internal organs. They are herbivores that must eat over 100 lbs. of plants per day to keep their bodies warm. This is equivalent to 200 heads of lettuce. They are well adapted to their slow aquatic life. They breathe through their noses, which have special folds that shut tightly when submerged. They reach reproductive maturity around 10 years of age and can live to approximately 70 years.
Humans are the greatest threat to manatees. Being slow and non-aggressive make them easy prey. Their large bodies can provide enough meat to feed a whole family for a long time. In many parts of the world, the main cause of extinction is simply loss of habitat, the destruction of sites that can produce the over-100 lbs. of seagrass per day, per manatee. However, these creatures face other problems such as: collisions with motorboats, entanglement in nets and lines, and swallowing of garbage.
Harassing manatees in any way is illegal and punishable by jail-time and/or heavy fines.
It is estimated that the population of manatees in the Caribbean, Antilles and Florida (Trichechus manatus) numbers only about 2,500 individuals. In addition, there are other species such as the West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), the Amazon Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and the Dugong of the Indian Ocean (Dugong dugon).
For more information from The Wild Ones, click here.
June Environmental Calendar
World Environment Day – June 5
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on June 5, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment.
The theme selected for 2006 is Deserts and Desertification. It emphasizes the importance of protecting drylands, which cover more than 40% of the planet’s surface. This ecosystem is home to one-third of the world’s people who are more vulnerable members of society. Desertification is the changing of an ecosystem into one of desert, through unsustainable activities such as deforestation. Dry areas around the world are becoming deserts as we continue to abuse our soils, forests and wetlands. As deserts grow, climate changes increase at greater rates.
The day's agenda is to empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; to promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and to advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.
Celebrate World Ocean Day – June 8
Recognition of World Ocean Day is essential to educating people and promoting stewardship of our oceans. Our major ocean fisheries are declining, essential coastal habitats are disappearing, and coral ecosystems are deteriorating. A healthy and abundant ocean provides many vital assets to the people of the world including: food, oxygen, recreation, transportation, water from condensation, and inspiration. It is our individual and collective responsibility to gain the attention of governments and society to help protect and restore this treasure.
A Call for Akumal Residents to Join a CEA Marine Conservation Discussion Forum
CEA is inviting all Akumal local residents to join a marine conservation forum on this blog site. Join us now in protecting our marine environment!
Please continue to tell your friends about CEA! Many CEA Members join after being referred to CEA by people like you. If you have questions about how you can become more involved, please contact us. The Yucatan Environmental Foundation is the U.S. 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor for CEA. All donations made through YEF for CEA are tax-deductible in the U.S.
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or simply need to contact CEA, please click here.
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