SEE Turtles
SEE Turtles protects endangered sea turtles around the world by supporting community-based conservation efforts. They offer sea turtle conservation trips that provide volunteer and financial support for conservation efforts and their Billion Baby Turtles program provides support for important turtle nesting beaches around the world. Their Too Rare To Wear is a campaign working to end the demand for turtle shell products and they also offer school programs that help teachers and students learn about turtles and how to protect them. Additionally, SEE Turtles promotes equity in the sea turtle community through their Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund and work to reduce plastic in sea turtle habitats around the world.
Since their launch in 2008, they have educated students, travellers, and the general public about how plastic impacts sea turtles and other ocean wildlife. They organise beach clean-ups and create new revenue streams from this waste. On their trips, they require use of reusable water bottles, and they also work with several sponsors who produce recycled plastic products or plastic alternatives, and advocate for plastic policies through their social media. In addition, they manage the Travelers Against Plastic campaign.
Commitments:
Tour Operators, Travel Agents and Platforms
Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
In the framework of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, SEE Turtles commits to:
- Encouraging its affiliated organisations and businesses or partners to join the GTPI through their Travelers Against Plastic coalition, which includes around 100 tourism companies, as well as through their network connected to their conservation trips, and the Too Rare To Wear program that works with the tourism industry to reduce demand for tortoiseshell products.
- Advising and guiding affiliated organisations and businesses or partners to better manage plastics in their operations through practices, criteria, standards and/or policies, and support them to implement their commitments to the GTPI through operational changes, that allow for providing clean and filters water to their guests and staff, and educational initiatives for example for the use of reusable water bottles, the threat of plastic waste to sea turtles, and how to use less plastic during trips. Additionally, SEE Turtles provides funding for plastic clean-up and recycling programs globally and they work with sponsors to create new products from ocean plastic to encourage the circular economy.
- Communicating successes to affiliated organisations and businesses, partners, travellers and key local stakeholders through their social media network, email newsletters, websites, annual reports, and educational presentations for the public.
Members
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Representative
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