Sea turtles invade Bournemouth beach with IFAW warnings

The International Fund for Animal Welfare today swarmed Bournemouth beach with 200 cardboard hawkbill turtles.

The arrival of the turtles is a publicity stunt co-ordinated by the IFAW and agency Rapp designed to raise awareness of the dangers that souvenir hunters are having on wildlife.

Each of the cardboard turtles has a message written under it explaining the dangers of poachers and the efforts of the IFAW to fight them. “Turning the turtle over is the first thing that hunters do”, reads one hard-hitting message.

Robbie Marsland, the UK director of the IFAW, said: “This turtle invasion may look out of place on an English beach but unfortunately many endangered species have their final resting place in this country as tokens of exotic holidays abroad.

“We hope this spectacle will highlight the truth behind this deadly business.”

In Pure Spirit

What do you think of the publicity stunt? Will it help and raise awareness of the issue?