The night sky on a Panamanian beach recently bore witness to an extraordinary sight. Undergraduate students carefully worked to excavate a sea turtle nest, the gleam from their lamps piercing the darkness, as armed guards kept watch over them. But this wasn’t just any Conservation activity – it marked the beginning of a new chapter in wildlife rights, initiated by a fresh law in Panama that recognizes the legal rights of sea turtles to live and move freely in a healthy environment.

This law owes much to the determined efforts of Callie Veelenturf, the founder of a group committed to the protection of leatherback turtles. Veelenturf’s relentless advocacy not only led to this landmark legislation but has also enabled any Panamanian citizen to become a legal defender of sea turtles, holding governments, corporations, and individuals accountable for any infringements of these rights.

The innovative perspective of Panama’s new law lies in its regard for the needs of sea turtles, setting a standard for human behaviors to align with these needs. By conferring sea turtles the right to a pollution-free environment safe from human-made hazards, the law establishes a pioneering framework for ensuring their survival. The significance of the law lies in its unambiguous acknowledgment of sea turtles as living beings with rights that can be upheld in a court of law.

Inspired by a 2022 verdict from Ecuador’s highest court recognizing the rights of wild animals, Panama’s move is perceived as a stepping stone in a growing global trend toward recognizing animal rights. The movement transcends the animal kingdom, with recent examples of legal rights being extended to wild rice by the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

Particularly important for Panama, home to critical nesting spots for leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles, this law comes as a much-needed boon. With the Sea Turtle Conservancy already leveraging the law to push for stronger protection measures, the legislation promises to be a powerful tool against illegal egg hunters and other threats to sea turtles.

The law also seeks to check irresponsible behavior by developers and tourism operators, withdrawing operating permits in cases of habitat disruption. It further bans both domestic and international trade of sea turtles, their parts, and eggs, with a few exceptions for subsistence use by certain traditional communities.

However, despite these strides, challenges remain. As noted by David Godfrey, executive director of the Florida-based conservancy, even as ecotourism recovers, the threat to sea turtles from illegal harvesting persists. But the new law offers hope, potentially serving as a model for other countries in the Atlantic and Caribbean regions to follow.

The stakes are high, but the message is clear: sea turtles have a right to exist, whether or not they benefit us. As we applaud Panama’s bold step forward, let us also remember our shared responsibility to protect the wildlife that co-inhabit our planet.

Speak Up Tee By Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection