WWF at Work in Panama
Aug 2nd, 2009 by wwftravel
© Ron Magill
Panama is host to almost 1,000 species of birds, more than 200 mammal species and at least 300 species of reptiles and amphibians. The country’s coral reefs—in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans—are also home to diverse marine life.
WWF works to protect this wildlife and the forests and waters of Panama from a variety of threats, including deforestation and unsustainable fishing practices.
Saving Sea Turtles
In 2004, WWF’s office in Central America started a project with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission to save marine turtles from long-line fisheries bycatch in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The project relied on the use of circle hooks, which reduce the capture of sea turtles by 70 percent to 90 percent but do not affect the catch of commercial species. Circle hooks are much less likely to be swallowed by turtles than traditional J-shaped hooks, which cause suffocation or internal bleeding when swallowed. In addition to asking fishermen to voluntarily switch from traditional J hooks, WWF helps train them in best fishing practices. This includes how to properly handle and resuscitate an accidentally caught turtle.
The project has proved successful in building up a network of support. Showing that with proper training and help, fishermen can improve their practices to save turtles and protect life in the seas. The challenge now is to achieve a massive transformation to circle hooks and better fishing practices in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Other WWF projects
Among other work that WWF-US staff and colleagues in WWF-Central America do in Panama:
• WWF works in partnership with the Caribbean Conservation Corporation to secure the recovery of hawksbill turtles at Playa Chiriqui, a beach in western Panama, by helping the local community design and implement a tourism plan that translates conservation efforts into tangible community benefits.
• WWF researchers have set up camera traps—simple cameras with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest—deep in Panamanian rain forests. Footage caught by the cameras of rare and endangered animals in their natural habitat helps researchers make important decisions about conservation.
• As part of a sustainable forest management and trade project coordinated by WWF Central America, a harvesting plan was launched in 2007 in the tropical rain forests of the eastern Darien region, ensuring that forest areas are cut in 25-year cycles. This ensures that logging does not exceed what the forest can generate.
Join WWF for one of three upcoming tours in Panama:
- New Year’s in Panama, December 27, 2009 – January 3, 2010
- Rain Forests & Reefs aboard Le Levant, January 3-17, 2010
- The Panama Canal and the Wonders of Costa Rica aboard the Sea Lion, February 13-20, 2010
