Protecting turtle eggs: El Salvador's strategy to conserve species

In El Salvador, a woman named Dora Martínez has transformed her livelihood from selling turtle eggs to becoming a dedicated protector of sea turtle nests on the beaches of Barra de Santiago. This shift came after she recognized the detrimental impact her previous trade had on the ecosystem.

Martínez now works as a "viverista," tending to the nests that arrive each year on the shore. Her work involves staying on the beach all night, waiting for the turtles to lay their eggs. She then carefully collects these eggs and brings them to a nursery for incubation. "We protect them so the species doesn't end," she told EFE, emphasizing the importance of her role.

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We protect them so the species doesn't end.

She is a member of the Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal de Mujeres de Barra de Santiago (AMBAS), an organization founded in 2000. AMBAS works to raise awareness and involve the local community in conservation efforts. Martínez recalled initial fear but grew accustomed to the work, noting that in 2025, they released approximately 19,000 baby sea turtles into the water.

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In the first year doing this work, I felt some fear, but over time I got used to it.

The Playa Dorada, near the Barra de Santiago Protected Natural Area, is a nesting ground for leatherback, olive ridley, and black sea turtles. These turtles lay their eggs in the sand at night before returning to the sea. Without protection, the eggs are vulnerable to predators, including humans. Historically, the sale of turtle eggs was a source of income for locals, but consumption and trade of turtle eggs, meat, and other derivatives have been prohibited in El Salvador since 2009. Violators face fines of up to $30,000 or imprisonment for up to five years.

Ricardo García, coordinator of the incubation nursery, highlighted the crucial role of sea turtles in marine ecosystems, as they help control populations of other species, such as jellyfish, which can be harmful to humans.

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Sea turtles play a very important role in marine ecosystems, as they control other species that can be harmful to humans, such as jellyfish.