6 convicted in massive turtle egg theft

SIX PEOPLE have been convicted this month for trafficking hundreds of thousands of turtle eggs.

Alexis Perez, regional chief of protected areas and wildlife of the Environment Ministry in Los Santos, confirmed on Saturday, August 27 the latest seizure of 1,314 eggs in the Tonosí,Valley sector.
Analysis by biologists from the institution showed that 687 embryos had to be  destroyed. Meanwhile 381 eggs were reseeded in a nursery located on the beaches of Cambutal.  It is the third case of seizure of turtle eggs in less than 15 days in the province of Los Santos.

The first two were 7,368 and 314,000 respectively.
In the two cases six traffickers criminally were convicted and ordered to pay to $3,600. They will also face a process with the Ministry of Environment for administrative offenses.
Citizens of San Miguelito were sentenced to 37 months in prison converted to 200 days’ fine, at $ 3 a day for the illegal transfer of 7,360 turtle eggs.
Others were given 40 months in prison, or fined $3 a day for 600 days .

Between the months of August to December the largest species of nesting is the mulatta turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Second is the black turtle (Chelonia agassizii).
Other species such as the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), come to nest two to three times a year.