Puerto Rico passes turtle protection laws

(BBC): Puerto Rico has introduced a new law protecting a swathe of the island's coast that has become a major nesting site for the world's largest turtle, the leatherback. The Northeast Ecological Corridor comprises 5.4 sq miles of the island's coast.The law ends a 15-year battle which pitted developers against green activists and several celebrities. Developers had been looking to build hotels, golf courses and luxury homes in the area, arguing that this would boost the local economy and create jobs. But the area – boasting lush vegetation and pristine beaches – is now likely to become a centre for eco-tourism. Last August thousands of leatherback eggs and hatchlings were crushed by bulldozers moving waterlogged sand from key nesting areas.

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