Sustainable Ocean Resources Network

Summary

To  protect  endangered  turtles  that  nest  in  one  of  the  most  important  wildlife sanctuaries  in  Sri  Lanka  wildlife officials  need  to  consider  increasing  the  entrance fee charged for turtle watching. Research suggests that visitor fees can be  increased  from  the  current  level  of  0  to  LKR  143  (USD  1)  per  visit  for  local  visitors, and, from LKR 1000 to LKR 2470 (USD 8 to 19) for international tourists. Increasing  the  entry  fees  will  result  in  additional  annual  revenues  of  LKR  70  million  (USD  0.5  million)  to  sanctuary  managers.    These  revenues  can  be  used  to fund turtle protection and to involve local households in turtle conservation. This approach is feasible because visitors to the sanctuary are willing to pay to conserve turtles, and, at the same time, locals want to play a role in this work.