On the World Sea Turtle Day (June 16th), the Tamar project is celebrating the highest number of hatchlings in the entire history of the project. During this latest season, which ran from September 2013 to May 2014, a total of around 2.2 million baby turtles hatched, 300,000 more than in the previous season.

Back in 1982, the first surveys conducted under the project indicated the hatching of just two thousand baby turtles. Guy Marcovaldi, the founder and national coordinator of the project, explained that, "Time has enabled these young, which we started protecting in the ‘80s, to become adults and they have returned to populate the Brazilian beaches. We have now reached a total of 20 million protected young". The Tamar project has been sponsored by Petrobras since 1983, under the Petrobras Social and Environmental Program, and it is coordinated by the Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ICMBio), in collaboration with the Pro-Tamar Foundation.

A tendency towards increasing numbers of females on the beaches has been noted, particularly since 2005. Among the contributing factors to the increased longevity of the olive, loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback and green turtle species is greater awareness among the public and specifically among fishermen and their families. Among these are the 1,300 people who participate directly in the Tamar project. Marcovaldi said, "The fishermen, who had previously used the tortoise as food, began to protect it and use it as a source of income, by working in our bases and information centers".

The Tamar project has sought to restore the turtle reproductive cycle, protect the nests and ensure the survival and recovery of Brazilian populations, while retaining their ability to fulfill their ecological functions. Petrobras’ executive manager for Social Responsibility, Armando Tripodi, is pleased with the results. Mr. Tripodi said, "We have supported initiatives aimed at the protection and recovery of the species and their habitats. That is precisely the mission of Tamar, which, moreover, develops sustainable economic alternatives for the coastal communities".

2013-2014 sea turtle nesting season

The number of nests in Brazil has increased for all the species of sea turtle. In the latest (33rd) nesting season (2013-14), monitored by Tamar, the numbers of protected nests were 2,554 for hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), 9,207 for the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 8,506 for the olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), 4,930 for the green (Chelonia mydas) and 99 for the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), making a total of 25,296 protected nests.

Threat of extinction

The five species of sea turtle found in Brazil are still endangered, according to the criteria of the Brazilian and world lists of endangered species. Of the five, four (loggerhead, hawksbill, olive and leatherback) lay their eggs on the coast and thus being more exposed, they are the most at risk. Of every thousand babies hatched, only one or two will reach maturity. There are many obstacles they have to face if they are to survive. In addition to natural predators, human action is among the major threats to sea turtles. Notable among these are global warming, destruction of nesting sites due to uncontrolled occupation of the coast, ocean pollution, and fishing with gillnets and, further out, with hooks and nets.

Numbers:

- Every year, Tamar monitors and protects some 18,000 hatchings that take place along more than a thousand kilometers of coastline, from which 900,000 baby turtles manage to reach the sea.

- In 2014, Tamar passed the milestone of 2 million baby turtles protected in a single season.

- Tamar has 20 research bases and 11 visitor centers, spread across nine Brazilian states.

- Tamar has 1,300 people directly involved in its activities. When it all started, back in 1980, there were just four.