It Is a Sea Turtle’s Legal Right to Be Protected from People and Pollution Here

Panama took a refreshing stance by signing into law the sea turtles’ legal rights to live in a healthy environment, setting an example for other countries that wish to impose measures in order to protect species under threat.

The new law “will allow any Panamanian citizen to be the voice of sea turtles and defend them legally,” explains Callie Veelenturf, founder of The Leatherback Project. “We will be able to hold governments, corporations, and public citizens legally accountable for violations of the rights of sea turtles.”

Panama is one of the most important nesting spots in the world for sea turtles – leatherback and hawksbill. In one beach area, there are up to 30,000 hawksbill nests every year. Signed in March, the new law explicitly states that sea turtles have rights, and it contains enough specificity that those rights can be enforced. Sea turtles have the right to an environment free of pollution and human impacts causing them physical or health damage, including climate change, incidental capture, coastal development, and unregulated tourism.