The Problem
Poaching of turtle eggs is a huge problem along the coastal belt of Sri Lanka and is especially true of Hikkaduwa. Many of the hatcheries are private businesses and do not have funding to purchase eggs from poachers during periods of low tourist income. Eggs are therefore sold for food on the back market. Additionally pollution is a concern on beaches frequented by nesting turtles. Plastic and other harmful debris litter the beaches because there is no program in place to conduct regular cleanups.
