Youth-Led Sea Turtle Conservation in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, April 20 — Every winter, thousands of sea turtles return to the shores of Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh to lay their eggs, drawing attention to one of the country’s most important coastal conservation efforts.

This annual nesting phenomenon, occurring primarily between November and March, involves several species of marine turtles, including the endangered olive ridley and green turtles, which come ashore under the cover of darkness to dig nests and deposit their eggs in the sandy beaches along the Bay of Bengal.

Local conservation initiatives, supported by international funding mechanisms such as the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), have empowered young volunteers and community groups to monitor nesting sites, protect eggs from predators and poachers, and guide hatchlings safely to the sea.

According to reports from Inter Press Service (IPS), these grassroots efforts have grown significantly in recent years, with increasing participation from students, fishermen, and women’s groups who now play leading roles in safeguarding turtle populations during the nesting season.