Panama’s Ministry of Environment officially launched the 2026 sea turtle conservation season at the San San Pond Sak National Wetland Park. The ceremony took place on February 8 at San San beach in Bocas del Toro province, coinciding with recent global celebrations for World Wetlands Day. This annual initiative aims to protect endangered nesting turtles through coordinated patrols and community engagement.
The season will be managed in close partnership with the community-b ased organization AAMVECONA. This group has worked alongside government park rangers for over two decades. Their collaborative efforts focus on the sustainable management of this critical Protected area.
Building on a Record Year for Conservation
Organizers hope to surpass the notable successes of the previous season. During the launch event, AAMVECONA presented results from 2025, which they called one of their best years on record. The program successfully released 14,347 sea turtle hatchlings into the ocean last year alone. Cumulative data shows more than 112,000 leatherback hatchlings have reached the sea over 19 years of continuous work.
“The species requiring the greatest protection in this area are the leatherback, the hawksbill, and the green turtle,” said park chief Jossio Guillén. [Translated from Spanish] He emphasized all three are endangered and fundamental to ocean health. These turtles nest on four beaches within the park: Soropta, San San, Playa 44, and Sixaola.
Conservation actions for the new season include day and night patrols of nesting beaches. Teams will monitor leatherback nesting activity and conduct educational outreach in local communities. A key public awareness campaign will continue discouraging the consumption of turtle meat and eggs.
A Community-Driven Model for Protection
Founded in the year 2000, AAMVECONA represents a long-term strategy to involve civil society in conservation. The group now plays a central role in the shared management of the 37,841-hectare wetland. Approximately 50 attendees joined the launch, including representatives from more than ten key organizations linked to the park’s protection.
The Parque Nacional itself gained its formal designation just last year. Panama’s Ministry of Environment established San San Pond Sak as a national park through Resolution No. DM-0111 on March 28, 2025. This solidified its protected status covering 18,023 terrestrial hectares and 19,816 marine hectares.
Specific goals for the 2026 season extend beyond hatchling numbers. Planners want to strengthen scientific research into the turtles’ physiological behavior. A central objective remains reducing mortality rates for the iconic Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) inside park boundaries. Success depends on the reinforced team of park rangers and dedicated community volunteers.
World Wetlands Day has been observed every February 2 since 1997. The United Nations General Assembly later proclaimed it an international day in 2021. Panama’s launch event directly connected local conservation work to this global recognition of wetland ecosystems and their immense biodiversity.