International sea turtle expert Verónica Cáceres Chamorro discussed global collaboration, conservation at Stetson Law
Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, secretary pro tempore for the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, talked to Stetson University College of Law students on Feb. 20 about the need for global collaboration and conservation.
(L-R): Verónica Cáceres Chamorro and Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy. Photo by Charlyne Topiol.
Cáceres Chamorro discussed threats to sea turtles including incidental capture from trawling gillnets and longline fishery, habitat loss like beach erosion on nesting beaches, and global climate change and pollution impacting turtle populations. She emphasized the need for international collaboration to protect the sea turtles that maintain healthy coral reefs and oceans and support the economies of nearby human communities in areas like the Caribbean.
“At the end of the day, sea turtles connect us. They visit a lot of countries and it’s our responsibility to protect them,” said Cáceres Chamorro.
The Inter-American Convention, which emphasizes a cooperative, non confrontational approach to resolving the problems that sea turtles face, includes 15 countries representing North, Central and South America.
“We believe that working with the younger generation will really make a difference,” Cáceres Chamorro told the law students attending her talk.
Cáceres Chamorro’s talk, “Making Connections to Protect Sea Turtles and Their Habitats: The Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles,” was part of Stetson’s Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series.
The ongoing public lecture series, co-sponsored by Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, brings leading experts to campus to speak on a range of environmental topics.
Post date: Feb. 11, 2013
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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