Sea Turtles in The Virgin Islands: Balancing conservation and culture
We're working with the Government of The Virgin Islands, the Association of Reef Keepers, the University of Exeter and local communities to develop a Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for the Virgin Islands.
The project so far
We’ve been finding out what the people of The Virgin Islands want for their turtles and how they feel they should be protected and managed in future. The current legislation that regulates the use of turtles in The Virgin Islands is out of date. This project will recommend changes to bring it up to date.
We've used our Community Voice Method to capture views about this issue. In April 2023, we screened the Community Voice Method films at workshops around the Virgin Islands and recorded lively and constructive discussions amongst the participants.
We're still collecting community views and are now streaming the film, along with a survey to find out what you think. Your views, alongside those recorded in the workshops and the biological information gathered through our turtle research in The Virgin Islands, will be used to inform the Action Plan and recommendations to the Government of The Virgin Islands.
Watch the film
This Community Voice Method film features the views and opinions of local people about turtle conservation in The Virgin Islands. The film was not made to tell you what to think, but to stimulate thought and discussion.
This film puts the issue of turtle conservation into local context and explores possible conservation measures for turtles and their habitats in The Virgin Islands.
What we know
A presentation has been produced by project partners the Association of Reef Keepers. It provides the most up-to-date scientific information about turtles in the Virgin Islands and associated regional populations.
Darwin Plus initiative
The project is funded by the UK Government’s Darwin Plus initiative, which provides vital funding to support projects aiming to protect the natural environment of the UKOT’s.
