Given the current problem due to the increase in light bulbs and light pollution on the Guachaca and Mendihuaca beach strip, in Magdalena, which negatively affects the nesting of sea turtles, Corpamag ordered restaurants and hotels in the sector to withdraw immediately from the luminaires that are installed at these points.
The above causes effects on the coastal marine ecological environment, specifically in the sites where turtles lay their eggs annually, reducing the chances of survival of the four species that nest in the area: Loggerhead Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Leatherback Turtle and Green Turtle.
Marina Julieth Prieto, Coordinator of Corpamag’s Species Protection and Recovery Program, stated that in recent years there has been a significant reduction in the presence of sea turtles in this area of the department.
“That is why an official communication was issued so that in an articulated manner we control the excesses of lights, bonfires, garbage, noise, thus avoiding sanctioning processes for those who ignore the warning from the environmental authority,” said Prieto.
It is important to note that these emblematic species that arrive in our territory, especially the females, depend on the darkness and tranquility of the beaches to nest and guarantee their parental care. Excess artificial light has a direct influence on the behavior of sea turtles, modifying their natural patterns, choosing to flee and not lay their eggs on illuminated beaches.
In 2023, the environmental entity showed a decrease in sea turtle nesting, detecting as the most influential variable the excessive installation of lights in the area, which causes them to become disoriented and exposes them to predation both by other animals and by humans.
Corpamag has established a period of no more than one month, counted from the date of receipt of the official statement delivered to the hotel and restaurant union of Guachaca and Mendihuaca, for the light bulbs and reflectors to be removed and bonfires to be avoided in the sector. coastal, in addition to requesting proper waste management and controlling excess noise, through the use of sound equipment and speakers.
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“The entity calls on all people and businesses located in the beach area to contribute to the protection of marine life and invites tourists to take care of the natural environment they visit, understanding that they are places where Various species live there, many of them in danger of extinction, which require our awareness for their survival,” Prieto pointed out.
