The other day, I was writing out the days agenda on my iPad and I noticed the date at the top of the notepad. At first, I shook my head and expected that to switch the date back to what it really must have been. Then it hit me; it was my birthday. I was in the middle of a country thousands of miles from home. I was on an island surrounded by poacher gangsters beginning construction on the first ever poacher owned and run sea turtle conservation and rescue center. Only the day before, I was inches from police pointing their AK-47s in the faces of poachers out on Moin Beach as we were attempting to save turtles. These conservation projects that pocket profits wonder why they are hated by the community. They wonder why they battle poachers. They wonder why the poachers kill us. Well, that is all over. The turtles are gonna be safe, and so are we. I am part owner of the most beautiful piece of property I have ever seen. The co-owner is the head poacher in the community we are saving turtle lives in. His name is El Culebra - The Snake. Those below him in this underworld hierarchy are treating us with as much respect as they treat their commander, and there are many of them. They will be building this hatchery and resort, and keeping us all safe, because they now have a vested interest in this community, outside of that with a shell - la tortuga de oro or the golden turtle, as they call it. I will not earn one penny on my investment. I am donating every dollar I spend on this project and the profits it will reap back to the community. They already have an association in place that will decide on how to allocate funds as arrived at per consensus. So, all they need is to be given some respect and the chance to stand on their own. They do not want anyone coming in and giving them hell for exploiting a beach when the ones giving them hell are exploiting funds from the beach in the same way, only under the guise of conservation. Were safer than anyone here. There is no more threat on this beach. The next step is to apply this to the rest of the Caribbean Coast. Were gonna save these turtles, Felix and I. Were The Protectors.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:21:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015