The Catch Conservation Fund

How You Can Help

nich — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:41:54 +0000

Your tax-deductible donations to The Catch Conservation Fund help us protect the environment in countries that serve as locations for The Catch. Our first target is Costa Rica, where we are working closely with PRETOMA and other local environmental organizations to help Leatherback and Green Sea Turtle eggs hatch and survive. One initiative is to educate locals about the benefits of eco-tourism and helping these amazing creatures thrive in their native environment. Another is to patrol beaches during nesting season and prevent poachers from stealing the eggs. This act alone raises the hatching numbers by 70%! By protecting vulnerable nesting sites, we are working to make sure these endangered sea turtles will survive for years to come.

But we can’t do it alone — we need YOUR help! Please donate today, and Help Us, Help Them!

Donor Levels

Olive Ridley: For a donation of $25 or more, we’ll send you one of these special Catch Conservation Fund gifts.

Leatherback: For a donation of $50 or more, we’ll send you any two.

Hawksbill: For a donation of $100 or more, we’ll send you all three!

*After you have donated, we will contact you via email or telephone to find out which gifts you would like to receive, and where you would like them shipped.

Education

nich — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:39:22 +0000

One of the most effective programs The Catch Conservation Fund supports in Costa Rica is the educational outreach done by Sea Turtles Forever in local schools and throughout the United States. By teaching students about the importance of sea turtles and the dangers they face, Sea Turtles Forever has been successful in reversing previously held attitudes and beliefs. Unfortunately, a lack of resources has forced them to suspend their outreach programs to focus all of their efforts on preventing poaching at this crucial time.

Organizations

nich — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:38:46 +0000

The Catch Conservation Fund is working with PRETOMA and Sea Turtles Forever, two non-profit groups determined to protect turtles in Costa Rica and help their eggs hatch so that these creatures can once again thrive.

PRETOMA (Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas) is a Costa Rican-based organization founded in 1997, whose mission is to protect, conserve and restore the sea turtle populations that utilize the marine environment of Costa Rica by preserving the diverse habitats and international waters upon which they depend.

Sea Turtles Forever is an Oregon-based organization who currently has two different programs: The Punta Pargos Green Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program and The Pacific Northwest Leatherback Awareness Program. Both of these programs focus on allowing turtles’ eggs to hatch, protecting them from poachers.

Beach Patrols

nich — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:25:23 +0000

For many generations the people of Costa Rica harvested marine turtle eggs for consumption. This is a part of their culture, and the practice of harvesting the eggs was handed down through the ages. Although some of the eggs are good to eat, the more potent draw to the eggs is the belief that they act as an aphrodisiac, even though it has been proven false by the latest science.

Sea Turtles Forever is dedicated to stopping the illegal harvest of eggs, but is also aware of the many dynamics that come into play. During our nightly patrols, we encounter all types of people combing the beaches for nests. Every poacher has a different story. Some are just men out of work, walking the beach and trying to find food. There are also some very hardened poachers who will stop at nothing. Many are armed, and all respond to opposition to retrieving the eggs with aggression.

Our goal is to bring the turtle population back to a sustainable level for our children’s children, so they will have sea turtles around for generations to come. When Sea Turtle Forever’s Punta Pargos project began in November of 2002, 99% of the turtle nests on Costa Rica’s beaches were being poached. In the five years since, we have reduced those numbers significantly - securing over 80% of the nests last hatching season.

Another major challenge facing the turtles, is plastic debris carried by ocean currents to the beaches where they nest. Plastic bags, soft drink bottles, flip flops - literally tons of garbage from North and South America wash up on these shores each year! Not only has ingested plastic been found during recent autopsies of turtles, but these plastics also contain toxins that can be extremely harmful to baby hatchlings.

Costa Rica can’t manage this monumental task on its own, and needs help from the international community to get the job done. That’s where The Catch Conservation Fund comes in. These programs are all completely staffed by volunteers, and your tax deductible donation helps us make sure these beautiful creatures will continue to thrive in their natural habitat.

Sea Turtles of Costa Rica

nich — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:23:10 +0000

For centuries, Sea Turtles have migrated to the shores of Costa Rica to nest on the same beaches where they were born. Ancient Mayans told of a Great Turtle Mother who guided them home each year to give life to the next generation. But now, these peaceful creatures have come under attack. After years of commercial fishing, ocean pollution, and poachers stealing their eggs, the sea turtles of Costa Rica are on the brink of extinction. Populations once numbering in the hundreds of thousands have been reduced to only a few thousand today, and even those are dwindling fast. This may be our last chance to prevent a tragic and completely unnecessary environmental disaster.

Donate

nich — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:37:48 +0000

Contribute to the Catch Conservation Fund online with check, credit card, or PayPal. Please make checks Payable to The Catch Conservation Fund.
Mail to: 788 Holiday Rd. McCormick SC, 29835

Contact Us

nich — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:37:10 +0000

The Catch Conservation Fund
788 Holiday Rd.
McCormick, SC 29835

1-800-392-1293
info@catchconservation.com

Mission Statement

nich — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:46:37 +0000

The Catch: Costa Rica strives to protect the environment around Costa Rica and all over the world. That’s why we started The Catch Conservation Fund, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to protecting and enriching fragile ecosystems around the globe. We work comprehensively with governments and dedicated private organizations in developing countries to improve the natural surroundings on land as well as at sea. It’s our belief that the modern world can live and work in harmony with nature so that future generations can enjoy and benefit from the wonder that our earth provides.