Many marine and coastal species, in particular marine turtles, cetaceans and the African
manatee, have already benefited from global protection for several decades through
international treaties and conventions. Thus, from 2016 to 2019, Tropical Nature received the support of the Royal Institute of
Natural Sciences of Belgium (IRSNB) through CEBiOS to develop awareness-raising actions in
favor of migratory marine species along the coast of Benin, including sea turtles.
The results produced at the end of this project, from 2016 to 2019, have given several
impacts where fishermen volunteer to protect sea turtles by making tortoises accidentally caught by their nets
available to Ecoguards.
The sworn agents accompany the activity during their nocturnal patrols, recover sea turtles
from poachers and then release them at sea in collaboration with the Ecoguards.