Luquillo – Environmental organizations urged this Saturday, in the 18th edition of the Tinglar Festivalin this municipality, to protect the habitat of the sea turtle which, according to the groups, would be affected if a legislative measure is approved that would reduce the safe space for it to nest.
He House Bill (PC) 25approved in the House of Representatives and referring to Senateseeks to redefine the terrestrial maritime zone reducing the surveillance area from 50 to 20 meters and opening more coastal land to development.
According to Guillermo Plaza Rodríguezdirector of Southern Tortuguerosa non-profit organization that works to protect sea turtles from Guánica to Guayama, the approval of the legislation would affect the coral reefs that provide an ecological balance for fishing and would also reduce turtle reproduction.
“Promoting this type of project could be very harmful to the species, since these species help us a lot in protecting the coral reefs themselves, where practically more than 75% of the species that are of utmost importance in the fishing industry grow. We call on us to try to protect the nesting spaces, in this case, of sea turtles. In the case of the leatherback, this turtle needs quite extensive sand banks, which, if we shorten those levels, that line where the wave breaks, if we shorten further, we have no place for the turtle to nest.”Plaza Rodríguez warned.
According to Nicola Pecci Zegrímember of Sierra Club Puerto Ricoan environmental organization that fights for the protection of public domain assets, an essential element in the conservation of the leatherback is the education of the community in spaces such as the festival, so that citizens know how to get involved in environmental care efforts.
“Unfortunately, with many of the projects that are passing at the legislative level, the coast is being threatened. We reject this measure (PC 25). We feel that what you are looking for is the priority and well-being of what are private interests.. As we know, throughout Puerto Rico, at different points there are several projects on the coast and we know that what they are doing is a threat,” said Pecci Zegrí.
In addition, Nilda García Pastorpresident of the Northeast Ecological Corridor Coalitionhighlighted the context in which this year the festival was celebrated to call on the Legislature to recognize the existence of the climate change when approving environmental measures.
“This is a symbolic date because, precisely, the peak nesting season for sea turtles, especially leatherback turtles, begins from here until approximately the first week of August. The 18th edition of the Tinglar Festival occurs at a critical time for our coasts and natural areas, which today are threatened by privatization, environmental destruction and the elimination of essential protections by a government that continues to think that development means destroying resources.said García Pastor.
Likewise, he maintained that they are still waiting for the signature of the secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Waldemar Quiles Pérezin a document with amendments to the co-management agreement of the natural reserve that, he specified, the official guaranteed will be signed before May.
Both Sierra Club and the Coalition will participate, next Wednesday, in public hearings in the Senate Committee on Tourism, Natural and Environmental Resources on PC25.