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Marine Turtle Newsletter 21:2, © 1982

Protection for Olive Ridleys at Ostional

Douglas C. Robinson
Escuelo de Biologia, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, Rodrigo Facio, Costa Rica, Central America

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Carazo and his Minister of Agriculture & Livestock, Dr. Hernan Fonseca Z., are to be commended for having decreed, on January 7th, 1982, the beach of Ostional, Guanacaste, Costa Rica', as an area protected for the reproduction of marine turtles. This, and the neighbouring beach of Nancite, at present adequately protected under the National Park System, were listed as second in importance in the list of 38 identified nesting areas by the World Conference on Sea Turtle conservation, Washington, D.C., 1979. The official recognition of the importance of this beach should stimulate international agencies to cooperate with Costa Rica in the protection of the area. Studies by Cornelius and Robinson are revealing extensive migration patterns of the species concerned, Lepidochely olivacea; these underscore the responsibility of other countries in helping to conserve this resource. Letters of congratulation are in order for President Carazo.