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For many, conservation is a work of passion stemming from a desire to do good. For one Mexican man and his family who have decided to devote their lives to conservation, it also comes from a place of gratitude. What’s truly fascinating about this particular family is that they used to be in the fishing industry, but have given it all up now to save sea turtles.
Cosme Becerra, from the town of Bahía de Kino, or Kino Bay, in Northwestern Mexico, used to work as a fisherman. Living by an important sea turtle feeding area, the accidental catch of one of these creatures used to mean some extra income, which came in handy during emergencies. But Becerra was faced with a dilemma one day. As a fisherman, one of his tasks included sacrificing a turtle to be eaten at a local festival. One time, he had to lodge one of these animals for a few days in the family bathroom. After hearing the creature whizzing and crying at night, his wife pleaded with him to save the turtle. The next day, despite the fact that the turtle “belonged” to another person, he made up his mind and returned it to the sea.
“We released her, and since then, we have not gone back to consuming turtles or killing them,” Becerra told Mongabay. With time, he left the commercial fishing industry, and years later, he decided to dedicate his life to the conservation of turtles in the area. For that, he put together a team formed by 15 members of his family and invested their savings and income to buy a boat. The group became known as Grupo Tortuguero de Bahía de Kino (or Kino Bay Turtle Group).
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“Now we are trying to flip the coin over and—with our work—thank these species. It is satisfying to feel highlighted by the community, by the people, by the children,” said Becerra. Now, not only they have captured, documented, and released over 800 turtles, but their findings have also led to identifying diseases affecting the turtles that are directly related to pollution in the ocean.
Their work has also connected them to fellow conservation organizations, both domestic and international. When they first launched their conservation group, they reached out to Las Californias Turtle Group, a conservancy network based in Baja, which taught them how to monitor the species. They also work closely with the Prescott Center, an Arizona-based educational institution with facilities in the area, which has granted them some funding for monitoring sessions.
Much like they were once trained by specialists, they now find themselves in a position where they can bring more people into the world of conservancy. As of 2022, the Kino Bay Turtle Group was coaching a team of Indigenous Comcáac youth to create their own organization. Much like Becerra himself, this community is also deeply thankful to these sea creatures. “Thanks to this species, our tribe managed to survive,” said Aarón Barnett, a 28-year-old Comcáac conservationist. “Because of them we are still here, and the commitment that we have as a new generation is to take care of them.” Becerra added, “These are the youth of the future who are teaching and raising awareness in their community to help stop consumption.”
Their efforts and home-grown approach have been commended by fellow conservationists. “This team, led by Cosme Becerra, has been an example of perseverance and commitment to continue moving forward,” said Karen Oceguera, marine biologist and representative of the Las Californias Turtle Group. “The data generated by the capture, tagging, and release [of the turtles] have been the basis for having a broader knowledge of sea turtles in feeding areas.”
Cosme Becerra and his family decided to quit commercial fishing.
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Now, they dedicate their lives to the conservation of turtles in Northwestern Mexico.
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Becerra created Grupo Tortuguero de Bahía de Kino (or Kino Bay Turtle Group), which has captured, documented, and released over 800 sea turtles.
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“Now we are trying to flip the coin over and—with our work—thank these species. It is satisfying to feel highlighted by the community, by the people, by the children.”
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Marine biologist and representative of the Las Californias Turtle Group Karen Oceguer says, “This team, led by Cosme Becerra, has been an example of perseverance and commitment to continue moving forward.”
Grupo Tortuguero de Bahia Kino: Facebook
h/t: [Mongabay]
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