Assessing the Impacts of Hatcheries on Green Turtle Hatchlings

This study provides experimental evidence from Sri Lanka supporting the importance of releasing hatchlings immediately after emergence. Hatcheries may be somewhat resistant to the idea of adjusting their ecotourism policies to maximize hatchling survival upon release, as this would mean that the collection and release of hatchlings should take place in the dark, which may be less appealing for tourists. However, it is possible to combine tourism and conservation, following best practice guidelines (IUCN 2005), which recommend releasing at least 90% of the hatchlings from each nest immediately after emergence, and holding the remaining hatchlings as a tourist attraction. In this way, Sri Lankan, and turtle hatcheries worldwide, would be able to improve their contribution to sea turtle conservation whilst maintaining much needed tourist revenue.