The Tusk Conservation Award for 2024 was granted to the Founder and Managing Director – Edward Aruna on the 27th November 2024. The award came with a 3-year project that is supporting the “Development of a Community-Based Marine Turtle and Manatee Conservation Program for Sierra Leone” The project is providing additional support to RAP-SL for the protection and conservation of Marine Turtles, Manatees, and all Threatened and Endangered Species in Sierra Leone.
The long-term goals of the project include the assurance that marine turtles and manatees are protected at all life history stages within the country, awareness among locals increased at both coastal and national levels about these species, reliable data collection mechanism on nesting marine turtles as well as the incidental captures of both marine turtles and manatees ongoing, protection of marine turtles and manatees’ habitats, and implementing community empowerment and development programs within selected fishing communities in Sierra Leone.