In response to videos circulating on social media showing two people poaching turtle eggs at the Escobilla Beach Sanctuary in Oaxaca, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) reported that it has filed the corresponding complaints with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa).
“The poachers, caught in the act and recorded, fled, leaving the eggs in sacks which they dumped in a lagoon near the Natural Protected Area (…) This attack against biodiversity not only disrupts the ecological balance but also constitutes a federal crime,” the commission stated.
In a press release, the agency emphasized that, according to the Federal Penal Code, any act of theft or sale of wildlife products constitutes a crime punishable by one to nine years in prison and significant fines.
Furthermore, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) stated that these events are “utterly regrettable and unacceptable,” and asserted that the looting of sea turtle nests on the sanctuary’s beach is a less frequent illegal activity.
So far this 2025-2026 nesting season, ten arribadas have been recorded, protecting just over 1,263,000 nests, which represents the care and conservation of more than 113 million eggs.
“Throughout 20 years of conservation, protection, and safeguarding efforts by CONANP, coordinated actions have also been established with national security authorities, such as the Navy, the Ministry of Defense, and, since its creation, the National Guard, as well as with environmental crime prevention authorities, such as the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA).” For the conservation of priority species such as sea turtles, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) maintains active subsidy projects that involve more than 117 people from communities such as Escobilla, Vainilla, Macahuite, Guapinole, and Barra del Potrero.
These projects are part of the Conservation for Sustainable Development Program (PROCODES) and the Program for the Protection and Restoration of Ecosystems and Priority Species (PROREST), which strengthen community participation.
To this end, biological monitoring and community surveillance are carried out, along with dune and coastal scrub restoration efforts, and the promotion of environmental education focused on appreciating the biological importance of sea turtles and the existence of the sanctuary.
This is achieved by focusing the environmental cultural promotion strategy with recreational activities, fairs, and environmental films, seeking to transform former harvesters into the primary guardians of nature, while discouraging the illegal market for turtle eggs.
“The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) reaffirms the Mexican government’s commitment to biodiversity and calls on civil society to protect our natural heritage. We urge everyone to report any activity that harms sea turtles, whose conservation is an ethical imperative and a shared responsibility of all Mexicans.”
Source: amp.milenio
