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Marine Turtle Newsletter 58:31, © 1992

What Can You Do?

If you spend a holiday in any country where sea turtle products are available or where sea turtles nest, please

1. do not eat turtle meat or soup,
2. do not buy any sea turtle product souvenirs, such as hawksbill shell (also known as tortoiseshell) jewelry, ornaments, or stuffed turtles,
3. take care not to disturb turtles or hatchlings and avoid using white light (e.g., car headlights or torches) which can frighten nesting females and attract hatchlings away from the safety of the sea, and
4. never throw plastic litter into the sea or coastal waterways because some turtles eat plastic bags (mistaking them for jellyfish) and suffer intestinal problems as a result.

If you want to know more, contact Greenpeace, Canonbury Villas, London, N1 2PN. Source: adapted from the British Chelonia Group's Newsletter, 1992, 86:11.