Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) began working in the Bocas del Toro and Comarca Ngabe-Buglé region in 2003. In 2007, STC began incorporating Environmental Education and Outreach Programs as part of STC’s efforts to protect sea turtles, both nesting populations and in-water aggregations, in the Bocas del Toro Region. From an educational perspective, sea turtles can help conservationists achieve and enhance environmental awareness on people, as they have the power to change environmental attitudes; therefore, it is incredibly valuable to use them as ambassadors of marine ecosystems.

The main environmental issues in the Bocas del Toro region are:

• Poaching of sea turtle eggs and adults for consumption;
• Waste management;
• Nest predation by dogs;
• Impacts on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, from over fishing, pollution, and human pressures;
• Non-sustainable water resource management;
• Non-sustainable tourism;
• Low involvement in the community.

STC is working together with community groups and residents to establishing constant and long-term projects, providing educational and outreach programs that include socioeconomic, cultural and environmental perspectives. Additionally, STC is working with the authorities to reduce poaching of turtles from protected waters and nesting beaches, and the poaching of eggs, especially from Soropta Beach.