Turtle Soup, anyone ? First report from Jumeirah Group

Every so often, you are reading a CR report and something just makes you stop and sit back and think: WOW. Well here in Israel, I think Wow. Maybe in other countries you think something else. Anyway, this happened to me today. I was taking a look at the Jumeirah Group's first CR report for the year 2008. Jumeirah, for the uninitiated, is a hotel and leisure resort group in the UAE based in Dubai.
(I once participated in a belly-dancing event somewhere in the desert near Dubai - needless to say it was fortunate that no-one brought a camera).
Jumeirah have produced a very good first report, clear, comprehensive and credible. There were many things that stuck me as good practice, but one particular case study generated that WOW.

Jumeirah report on their wildlife protection program aimed at saving turtles. They have established a "Madinat Jumeirah turtle rehabilitation unit"as a pilot project organised in conjunction with the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, England. Sick or injured turtles that were brought to veterinarians by members of the public are referred on to the Wildlife Protection Office, and then brought to a large enclosure in the sea-water canals of the Mina A’ Salam hotel. The time spent there allows for a final period of feeding and monitoring the turtles before releasing them back into UAE territorial waters. In December 2007, 12 turtles were rehabilitated and more are expected. Some turtles are fixed with tracking devices which monitor their journey, providing valuable behavioural information for scientists.

Wow, i thought. How cool. I recall a corporate program i once ran to clean a river in Israel which was a migration point for soft-back turtles. Maybe that's why i liked this story so much.

Got me wondering if any of the turtles escape to the swimming pool, or worse, the poolside jaccuzzi. Oy, what a thought. Just add a little salt and pepper, bring on a few bread rolls, and poolside lunch is served to all Miná Salam's guests. Hope i havent offended any vegetarians, that WAS a joke. Though i am a little peckish .......

elaine cohen is the joint CEO of BeyondBusiness, a leading reporting and social-environmental consulting firm based in Israel. Visit our website at: www.b-yond.biz/en