Welcome to an installment of our Spotlight series, each highlighting one of our 16 Prize Winners working to combat wildlife crime around the globe. Find out about all 16 Prize Winners here, and check back in on Mondays for a new Spotlight post.
The illegal trade in sea turtle eggs is threatening the survival of all seven species of the world’s sea turtles. However, because the transit routes that poachers use to move their illegal cargo are not known, it is difficult to intercept traffickers and better protect the sea turtles.
Prize Winner Paso Pacifico, a U.S. based conservation NGO operating in Nicaragua, came up with an idea to solve this problem: Why not plant GPS tracking devices disguised as a sea turtle eggs in sea turtle nests so that poachers will inadvertently collect them, allowing conservationists to track their movements? As the sea turtle eggs change hands, their location can be transmitted in real-time across cellular networks in Central America, providing important insights to conservationists and law enforcement authorities about this illicit trade. Creating artificial sea turtle eggs that will fool poachers is no easy feat. Hollywood special effects artists are helping Paso Pacifico develop fake prototypes made from silicon rubber that mimic the look and feel of the real thing.
The hope is that this innovation will provide much-needed data on transit routes used in this illicit trade to help meaningfully combat trafficking in sea turtle eggs. “We’re looking for other partner organizations in Central America and even globally who are interested in deploying this technological solution,” says Paso Pacifico’s executive director Sarah Otterstrom. In addition, Paso Pacifico is searchi ng for more funding, as well as experts to help them manage the data they will collect via the hidden tracking devices to ensure it will be usable to potentially prosecute criminals.
Find out about each of Challenge’s 16 talented Prize Winners and their game-changing innovations to fight wildlife crime here. All of our Prize Winners, including Paso Pacifico, are looking for partners, organizations, individuals, and funding agencies that can help them scale their solutions. If you would like more information, get in touch at info@wildlifecrimetech.org.
See this article and more on The Challenge Blog: https://wildlifecrimetech.org/blog
