Public awareness is identified as one of the major issues by the global, regional and national action plans. The importance of raising education among the communities, especially at key fishing and turtle landing sites, must be realized and youth generation must be actively involved in marine turtle conservation in their local areas.

TCP conducts various programmes to build the capacities of Kosgoda community members. These programmes include; local guide tourist programmes, research training programmes, English teaching programmes etc.

TCP is an organization that focuses in providing sustainable livelihoods for those who are involved in destructive exploitation of marine and coastal resources. Therefore, TCP implements several activities to provide sustainable livelihoods for Kosgoda communities. These activities include; batik training programme for local women, handy craft training for Kosgoda women, tourist guide training for TCP nest protectors and other local community members. TCP facilitates the marketing of those items produced by locals and also promotes nature tourism in the area. TCP closely works with government institutions such as Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Sri Lanka Hotel School etc. TCP also uses its volunteers to develop the capacities of local people by teaching them English or German languages. Volunteers are also involved in giving hotel presentations regarding the turtle night watch programme and TCP activities. TCP recognizes that the Kosgoda turtle conservation programme must become sustainable in order for the long-term conservation goals to be met. This will be achieved through co-operative efforts between the TCP and local communities in alternative income generation, with the TCP and other contributing NGOs providing technical advice. TCP will be using the following activities to achieve its self-sustainability and continue with the conservation programme: ?Turtle Watch? programme for fee-paying tourists. Developing paying volunteer positions at project sites (particularly for international visitors). Local people will provide services such as food and accommodation for the visitors to the ?Turtle Watches?, for TCP staff, and for visiting volunteers. Local production for sale of ?turtle? design crafts, based upon locally available raw materials. Selling TCP merchandise (e.g. postcards, stickers, T-shirts etc.,) and local ?turtle? crafts at TCP site offices, and in hotels and gift shops on the Southwest coastal belt. Introducing a ?Turtle Adoption? scheme. Slide presentations and the sale of marine turtle conservation merchandise and turtle adoption schemes at regional hotels.

TCP programmes involve both men and women in their various programmes. Men are involved in; beach patrols, research activities, nature tourism. Women are mainly involved in batik and handy craft productions.

The programme aims to actively involve community members in Kosgoda. Locals are employed as research officers and turtle nest protectors. Officers? roles involve counting the nests and turtles and making accurate records. These records include turtle and egg measurements of size and weight, characteristics and nest position. The patrollers protect the nest and the beach; they are also trained in turtle tourism. Providing guides on the turtles, their habitats and breeding, also diversifying out to the local area and its places and activities of interest. Community members receive education and awareness programmes that teach them about the turtle populations and the work that TCP conducts. With training they then organize educational and awareness programmes in other parts of the community, such as in schools and hotels. Women in the community are involved in the diversification of the projects, they are employed in batik production of which the materials are provided and the final products will be sold at a profit in provided premises. A visitor center will be completed to increase awareness, where other local merchandise will also be sold for additional community income. The community will also be involved in the steering committee of the entire project participating in progress evaluation meetings.

To implement the priority actions (Recommendations) identified by the global, regional and national action plans for the conservation and management of endangered marine turtles, TCP refers to the environmental policy documents such as the Bio-diversity Conservation Action Plan (BCAP) and National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). TCP?s research findings contribute in the preparation of policy documents produced by regional and international treaties and MOUs.