At the beginning of this month Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, in cooperation with Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire and the local company WILDCONSCIENCE BV, has replaced the old and decayed fence on Te Amo Beach.
The new fence will not only stop vehicles from causing potential damage to sea turtle nests when entering the beach, but will also discourage disoriented nesting turtles to access the parking area and the busy road by the airport.
The replacement of the fence marks the beginning of STCB’s involvement in a wider Ecological Restoration-project. Additional activities will take place in the near future, including placement of kliko facilities, signs to raise awareness and planting vegetation alongside the fence aiming to create a natural barrier that will substitute the fence.
According to Mabel Nava, manager of Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, ‘the collaboration between the Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire, STCB and local businesses has been very successful so far. The replacement of the old fence is an important step towards the protection of nesting turtles at Te Amo Beach, and we look forward to the developments to come.’ The works of STCB form part of a bigger project named Ecological Restoration of Lac and the South of Bonaire. This project, which aims to increase the accessibility and biodiversity of these areas, is coordinated by the Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire and funded with the so called ‘natuurgelden’ made available by the Dutch government.