Miss Guyana 2001, Olive Gopaul, who is scheduled to leave today for South Africa, will focus on 'Marine Turtle Conservation' as her platform and over the last few weeks she was assisted by Annette Arjoon and Shyam Nokta of the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS) in researching the subject.

Gopaul will be vying for the Miss World crown in Sun City, Johannesburg, South Africa on November 16.

According to a release from GMTCS Gopaul's decision to choose marine turtle conservation as her platform was testimony to an increasing awareness of turtle conservation in Guyana.

The release said that apart from focusing on turtle conservation, Gopaul will also be making the link between conservation and tourism with the aim of showcasing Guyana as a nature tourist destination.

It is felt that this is opportune at a time when Guyana is boosting nature conservation and biodiversity protection while at the same time trying to realize its eco tourism potential. With 2002 being designated the United Nations International Year of Eco-tourism, the 2001 Miss World Pageant is an ideal opportunity for Guyana to showcase itself as a nature destination, the release said.