In the Akassa Island community, located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in Nigeria, the sea turtle is not a totem, and it is forbidden for seafarers, fisher folks, and all natives to poach or kill the magnificent sea creature.
It has been a long-standing practice in the riverine community, championed by the Akassa Development Foundation, to protect and preserve the planet’s precious wildlife, especially the endangered sea turtle.
Community approves sea turtle law, directs full compliance
In June, the Akassa Clan Council of Chiefs rolled out a document, “Approval of Sea Turtle Conservation Regulation,” signed by the chairman of the council, Chief Newton Igbani-Okuru, which the community presented to the Executive Director of Safe Earth Foundation, Raynus Henry Ebiegberi.
It read: “I am writing to formally approve the Sea Turtle Conservation Regulation to be enforced in the entire Akassa clan. The regulation aims to protect and conserve sea turtle populations and their habitats, and we believe it is a crucial step towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of these magnificent creatures.
“The approved regulation includes measures to reduce bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear, protect nesting sites and habitats, monitor and enforce regulation to prevent poaching and trade, educate the public, and raise awareness about sea turtle conservation.
“We direct every community’s full compliance and dedication to protecting the sea turtles and look forward to working together to implement this regulation effectively.”
Transgressors will face arrest, prosecution—Ebiegberi, executive director, Safe Earth Foundation.
An elated Ebiegberi thanked the Akassa clan chiefs’ council for the support, saying: “Finally, we have attained the milestone of my conservation area accepting a regulation that completely prohibits the killing of sea turtles.
“The program has existed for long, but it stopped at some point, so we came up to revitalize it. We try to educate the community on the need to protect the sea turtle. We have launched an education program for our community on the workings of the new law binding on all.
“Those who kill, hunt, and trade or harvest sea turtle eggs if caught will be arrested, fined, and prosecuted.
“The law enforcement agents in the area have the authority to implement the program.
“Community Action groups are also empowered to act according to the regulation as offenders can be sanctioned in line with the International Convention and Endangered Species Act.”
How the idea started —Domo resident
Also speaking, an indigene of the area, Adams Domo, said the idea of protecting the sea turtle in the area, a breeding ground for the sea creatures, was sold to them by some Europeans then working with the Akassa Development Foundation several years ago.
He said part of the sanction for anybody who kills a sea turtle was a denial of a development project for the defaulter’s community.
“Every year, these gentle giants return to their ancestral nesting grounds, drawn by an innate instinct to lay their precious eggs in the same spot where they were born. As the sun sets over the ocean, the turtles begin their laborious journey up the beach, their flippers digging into the sand as they search for the perfect spot to lay their eggs.
As the nights wear on, the beach transforms into a nursery, with hundreds of turtles laying their eggs in the sand. It is a testament to the resilience of nature, and a reminder of the importance of preserving our planet’s precious wildlife which we have constantly adhered to.
“At the Akassa –Okumbiri Sea Turtle Beach, you can witness this incredible spectacle, with conservation efforts in place to ensure the safety and well-being of these magnificent creatures.
“It is an experience that will leave you in awe of the natural world, and inspire you to become a guardian of our planet’s precious wildlife.”
By Samuel Oyadongha
