OUR STORY
The Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) is an independent Sri Lankan environmental NGO. First established in 1993 and registered under the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in 1995. The TCP operates according to an approved constitution enforced by committee of five Sri Lankan residents. The TCP’s mission is to devise and facilitate the implementation of sustainable marine turtle conservation strategies through education, research, and community participation by working alongside government departments, academic institutions, and other NGOs.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to ensure the long-term sustainability of sea turtle populations in Sri Lanka through conservation, habitat protection, and community engagement. We strive to create a future where sea turtles thrive in their natural environment, contributing to the health and balance of marine ecosystems.
OUR MISSION
Devising and facilitating the implementation of sustainable marine conservation strategies through education, research, and community participation by working alongside government departments, academic institutions and other NGOs.
WHO LEADS THE TCP
Thushan Kapurusinghe
Project Leader, Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) Sri Lanka
Thushan has been working with wildlife since 1985 and completed his MSc in Conservation and Tourism from the University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom in 2011. He is a member of the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group and has extensive experience implementing community-based marine and coastal resource management strategies. During 2005–2007, Thushan served as the coordinator of the tsunami recovery program implemented by the United Nations’ (UNDP) and Global Environmental Facility’s (GEF) small grants program. He went on to work as a program development officer for the UNDP Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Unit in 2010. Since then, Thushan has continued his work with sea turtles, as well as with mangrove and sand dune restoration, exotic fish breeding, and ecotourism, with a focus on community based conservation strategies.