Never have so many Caretta Caretta turtles in Italy:444 nests in one year

In Italy there have never been so many Caretta Caretta sea turtle nests:Warming waters are causing turtles to move further and further west

ROME – “2023 confirms itself as the record year for Caretta caretta nesting in the Western Mediterranean.I am 444 sea turtle nests registered in Italy at the end of the season:And the highest figure ever.A result accompanied by the work of monitoring and safety of the oviposition sites carried out by hundreds of volunteers from the partner associations of the European Life Turtlenest project, created to create an international network aimed at protecting Caretta caretta nests on the Mediterranean coasts of Italy, Spain and France".Thus, in a note, Legambiente that by processing the data of Tartapedia.it, which welcomes reports from associations and research institutes, immediately highlights that in Italy the number of ovipositions has tripled compared to the 2022 season:last year the end-of-season count stopped "only" at 129.

THE BIRTH OF 20 THOUSAND TURTLES AWAITED

At the top of the ranking of the Italian boom is the Sicily (156 nests).They follow the Calabria (125 nests), the Campania (54), Puglia (45), the Tuscany (23), the Sardinia (18), Lazio (18), Basilicata (3), Abruzzo (1) and Emilia-Romagna (1).A real record that also involved the coasts of Spain and France, with 27 and 12 nests respectively.Therefore, a total of 483 nests have been identified on the coasts of the Western Mediterranean. Around 20,000 baby turtles are expected to be born from the nests.It is estimated that only one in 1000 specimens reaches reproductive age (20-25 years).

TURTLES MOVE TOWARDS THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Water warming, linked to climate change – reports Legambiente – is increasingly shifting the range of sea turtles towards the Western Mediterranean.However, the nesting areas often coincide with areas of seaside tourism which, if not appropriately managed, risks compromising the hatching of the eggs. Spain, France and Italy are, in fact, among the top seven Mediterranean countries with the highest tourist pressure.It is therefore necessary to find a compromise between economic activities and protection of the species, creating an alliance between the various stakeholders:tourism operators, local administrations, environmental protection associations, citizens and the scientific community.This is precisely the challenge of European Life Turtlenest project, which aims to mitigate these effects through the implementation of monitoring activities, the safety of nests, scientific research and information activities aimed at the population.

THE WORK OF VOLUNTEERS AND THE 'PROBLEM' OF TOURISTS

The environmentalist association then reserves "a big thank you" to the "hundreds of volunteers, coming from the various project partner associations, who throughout the summer they monitored the coasts, monitored and made the nests safe with perseverance and commitment.The work of the seaside managers should also be highlighted, because for the conservation of the Caretta caretta species now and in the coming years The correct management of the beaches and the behavior of bathers and tourists will be of fundamental importance“.In this regard, Legambiente, the project leader, has trained almost 5,000 lifeguards this year in agreement with the FIN.

“In light of these numbers, this portion of the Mediterranean confirms itself as an important nursery, therefore assuming a significant role for the conservation of Caretta caretta – declares Stefano Di Marco, coordinator of the Legambiente Project Office and Project Manager of Life Turtlenest – For this reason it becomes imperative to guarantee adequate conservation measures through collaboration with local administrations and to give a greater push for awareness-raising activities aimed at citizens.Furthermore, it is necessary implement processes for the inclusion of Caretta caretta in Natura 2000 sites where the species is not yet present and establish new ones where necessary, through the creation of a broad collaboration network".

“This year's result with the record of nests registered of the Western Mediterranean takes on particular importance, because it certifies the positive trend of the last decade and the effective expansion of the nesting area of ​​Caretta caretta in this basin - comments Sandra Hochscheid, researcher at the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station of Naples and scientific manager of the Project – With Life Turtlenest we will identify areas of youth development, adult feeding environments and the migratory corridors that connect them.The final objective is to develop an integrated conservation strategy that allows us to identify the most suitable areas and apply the best protection practices to guarantee their resilience in the context of climate change".