Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign MohĂŠli, Comoros
A report submitted to UNEP/IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat
Community Centred Conservation C3-Comores 2007
© C3-Comores 2007 C3-Comores is a collaborative initiative between Community Centred Conservation (C3), a nonprofit company registered in England no. 5606924 and Comorian partner organizations. The Year of the Turtle activities described in this report have been supported by the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding. Suggested citation:
IOSEA logo on the Hoani Conservation Centre
C3-Comores (2007) TURTLE INFORMATION CENTRE AND AWARENESS-RAISING CAMPAIGN, MOHÉLI, COMOROS. A report submitted to the UNEP/IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat.12pp
FOR MORE INFORMATION Community Centred Conservation (C3)
Mohéli Marine Park (PMM)
www.c-3.org.uk info@c-3.org.uk
Nioumachoua, Mohéli pmm@comorestelecom.com
C3-Comores
Association of Intervention for Development and the Environment (AIDE)
BP 8310, Iconi, Grande Comore tel. +269 73 75 04 GSM +269 36 75 06
http://www.aide.africa-web.org/ aide@snpt.km
IOSEA
FADEVICHO / HUPPE
www.ioseaturtles.org
Hoani, Mohéli, tel. +269 72 04 62
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign MohĂŠli, Comoros
Edited by C.N.S. Poonian Community Centred Conservation (C3)
Moroni 2007
AIDE
ADSEI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is the culmination of the advice, cooperation, hard work and expertise of many people. In particular, acknowledgments are due to the following for their contributions: COMMUNITY CENTRED CONSERVATION (C3) Director: Patricia Davis International Programme Manager: Chris Poonian C3-Comores Programme Manager: Rozenn Le Scao C3-Comores Programme Coordinator: Melissa Hauzer Interns: Charles Beaufrere, Sarah Freed, Ariana Arcenas, Kileken Ole Moi-Yoi, Bjorn Alfthan, Joanne Nice and Audrey Clark MOHÉLI MARINE PARK Curator : Kamardine Boinali Ecoguards, particularly Hamada Issoufi and Cheikh Moussa Management Committee, particularly Abdou Malida and Nassur Ahamada ADSEI, particularly Matarafi Hamadi FADEVICHO / HUPPE, particularly Nema Madi, Loufti Madi, Ahmed Abla, Ahmed Dahalane, Mouzidalifa Issouf, Aboubacar Ahmed Kaldi, Omar Nafdi and Bachiroudine Issa THE MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MOHÉLI, particularly Abdou Tchake, Minister for the Environment and Toiouilou Madi Bam Dou, Director General for Tourism THE MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, COMOROS, particularly Sitti Kassim, Minister for the Environment; Said Mohammed Ali Said, Secretary General and Fatouma Abdallah, Adjoint Director, INRAPE AIDE, particularly Zaharani Moindjie and Said Ahamada, Secretary General
Schools drawing competition on the beach at Hamavouna
All other volunteers and students, particularly Ben Said Omar, Mouzdaaoi Baussawi and Bounouenche Moussa
CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION
1
2. OBJECTIVES
3
3. ACTIVITIES
4
3.1 Day of the Turtle
4
3.2 Schools drawing competition
5
3.3 Hoani Conservation Centre
8
3.4 Activities evaluation
10
4. FINANCIAL REPORT
11
4.1 Financial statement
11
4.2 Financial evaluation
11 12
IOSEA Drawing competition winner, Abacar Yssouf
5. APPENDICES
C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
1. INTRODUCTION
Evidence of turtle poaching on the Islets of Nioumachoua
Mohéli Island in the Comoros (Figure 1) is one of the key nesting sites for green turtles in the Western Indian Ocean. Hawksbill turtles also nest here and leatherbacks are occasionally sighted. Green turtles nest throughout the year, with a peak during the Austral Winter. However, poaching of nesting females has become a serious problem in recent years.
The creation of Mohéli Marine Park (PMM) in 2001 reduced the threat of turtle poaching, however, owing to a lack of funds in recent years, the Park has been unable to continue turtle surveillance, and poaching is again an increasing threat. Mortimer (2002)1 has identified the following priorities for turtle conservation in the Comoros: 1. Support efforts of village associations and local communities to protect turtles on Mohéli 2. Develop income generating activities and employment related to the presence of marine turtles, particularly through eco-tourism. 3. Put in place a mechanism for long-term financing of marine turtle conservation in Comoros. 4. Involve local communities in monitoring activities on Mohéli. 5. Conduct public awareness programmes on Mohéli, Anjouan, & Grand Comore to minimize poaching by their residents at Mohéli. Fortunately, some villages have already established effective community surveillance programmes, and many others have expressed a strong interest in forming environmental associations to protect their sea turtles. The village of Itsamia had been the target of much of the previous turtle conservation work on Mohéli and the community has initiated turtle ecotourism activities. This IOSEA project aimed to motivate and fully implicate all of the communities of Mohéli in the conservation of their sea turtles. Following discussions with Kamardine Boinali (PMM Curator) and the PMM ecoguards, it was decided specifically that this project must reach those villages on Mohéli where poaching was most prevalent. 1 Mortimer (2002) A STRATEGY TO CONSERVE AND MANAGE THE SEA TURTLE RESOURCES OF THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN REGION. A report produced for IUCN, WWF, and The Ocean Conservancy. 46pp
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - MohĂŠli, Comoros
Fig 1. The Union of the Comoros (above) and MohĂŠli (below)
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
2. OBJECTIVES To support the Association for the Socioeconomic Development of Itsamia (ADSEI) through a contribution to the organizational costs of the Day of the Turtle 2006 in collaboration with CEDTM/Kelonia Reunion.
•
To organize a turtle drawing competition to raise public awareness in five villages of Mohéli, focussing on those most affected by poaching.
•
To create a conservation centre on Mohéli in order to promote the conservation of sea turtles to tourists and Mohélians; to provide a headquarters for turtle conservation activities and to act as a point of sale for artisanal goods and souvenirs to generate income for local communities.
Hoani Conservation Centre
Poaching evidence discovered during a beach survey
•
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
3. ACTIVITIES 3.1 DAY OF THE TURTLE
House of the Turtle, Itsamia
Since 1999, May 28th has been celebrated on Mohéli as the official Day of the Turtle. Held in Itsamia, the day has been a resounding success for the promotion of environmental awareness of sea turtles on Mohéli. In 2006 this day marked the starting point of activities to celebrate IOSEA Year of the Turtle.
C3 Director, Patricia Davis gives a speech at the Day of the Turtle
Speeches about turtle conservation were made by the Curator of Mohéli Marine Park (PMM), the Minister for the Environment, Minister for Tourism, Francois Beudard of CEDTM/Kelonia and the Patricia Davis of C3. People came from all over the island to participate in a huge range of activities to suit all ages. Some of the most popular activities included tug of war, dancing, singing, poetry and dictation competitions and the ‘tam tam de boeuf’, the Comorian equivalent of the running of the bulls!
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Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
Patricia Davis and collaborators from ADSEI
C3-Comores
Dictation competition
C3 helped to organize the weekend in collaboration with PMM and Association for the Socioeconomic Development of Itsamia (ADSEI). The event was a great success, with an estimated 400 participants. Everybody learned a great deal about sea turtle ecology and conservation. Prizes for competition winners and IOSEA t-shirts were distributed at the end of the weekend. The event was filmed by a team from CEDTM/Kelonia, the turtle research group from Reunion Island. Most participants received goody bags with snacks and drinks to keep them happy and full of energy throughout.
3.2 SCHOOLS DRAWING COMPETITION In celebration of IOSEA Year of the Turtle 2006, C3 and Mohéli Marine Park (PMM) initiated a programme to inform students of the life history, ecology and conservation issues of Mohéli’s sea turtles and encourage their involvement in their protection. The programme took place at schools in five villages, from 16 June to 11 July (full details in Table 1). The villages were identified by the PMM Curator, Kamardine Boinali, as those most heavily affected by turtle poaching. A total of 313 students attended the five presentations, 151 girls and 162 boys between the ages of 7 and 23. C3 was assisted by PMM ecoguards Hamada Issoufi, Cheikh Moussa (‘Bush’) and community volunteers.
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Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
PMM ecoguard ‘Bush’ captivates youngsters in Hamavouna
C3-Comores
Community volunteer Bounou-enche Moussa assists with the competition
In addition to educating students about the turtles that were nesting nightly on Mohéli’s beaches at the time, a drawing contest was held in each village. The ecoguards held the attention of classrooms full of up to 81 children with their animated and heartfelt presentations. At Hamavouna, the team was unfortunate enough to discover a disemboweled turtle on the beach, so it was decided to bring the children outside to witness firsthand the destructive actions of turtle poachers. The children participated eagerly in the drawing competition, and many of them added thoughtful captions to their drawings.
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - MohĂŠli, Comoros
Table 1. Drawing competition statistics
DATE 16 June 3 July 11 July 4 July 4 July
TIME 1630 0900 1000 1000 1600
BOYS 19 33 36 36 38
GIRLS 24 26 27 31 43
AGES 10-15 10-15 9-16 7-18 7-23
ECOGUARD Hamada Yssoufi Cheikh Moussa Cheikh Moussa Cheikh Moussa Cheikh Moussa
WINNER Dega Hamada Andarcia Ali Abacar Yssouf Soimadou Halasse Youssouf Madi
Competition winners at Itsamia
VILLAGE Nioumachoua Ndrondroni Hamavouna Hoani Hamba
Observing a nesting turtle at Itsamia
PMM Curator Kamardine Boinali judged the competition, taking into account the age of the competitor and the pertinence of the message included with the drawing. First, second and third prize winners from each village were awarded a certificate (see Appendices) and one winner from each village was taken on an exciting overnight field trip to Itsamia All the winners were lucky enough to observe both nesting females and juvenile turtles emerging. PMM ecoguard and turtle expert Matarafi Hamadi provided the children with further information and a full commentary on the turtle nesting process. The drawings selected were used to create a poster and T-shirt promoting turtle conservation, which has been distributed throughout MohĂŠli and the Comoros (see Appendices).
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
3.3 HOANI CONSERVATION CENTRE
Turtle mural on the Conservation Centre
Mohéli’s potential for ecotourism is undoubtedly its greatest asset, and is one of the most frequentlyproposed means for economic development on the island. Mohéli’s natural environment is unique, the island hosts coral reefs, tropical forests and charismatic endangered species such as dugongs and sea turtles. However, capacity for ecotourism on the island is low, there is little interpretative material about turtles available to tourists and few local people have received the necessary training in tourism services. A building exists in Itsamia, known as the ‘House of the Turtle’, however, its awareness materials are now aging, and there are no brochures or information for tourists to take away with them.
Hoani Conservation Centre
The village of Hoani, on the northwest coast of the island was identified by C3-Comores as a priority site for turtle conservation activities, since it lies outside of the boundaries of Mohéli Marine Park (PMM), despite the fact that the village’s beaches provide an important nesting site for green turtles. As a result of the village’s concerns at increased levels of turtle poaching in the area, C3 and FADEVICHO (the village association of Hoani) created a Conservation Centre. A disused building was renovated to create a headquarters for turtle conservation activities in northwest Mohéli.
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Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
Painting the sign for the Conservation Centre
C3-Comores
Artisanal crafts of Hoani
Work on the Conservation Centre started in June 2006, and it was completed in December. The Centre is located on a turtle nesting beach close to Hoani, and comprises two rooms. The first room has been designed to accommodate anti-poaching ‘community ecoguard’ teams (trained by C3) during night patrols and for tourists who wish to view nesting turtles. The second room has been designed to inform tourists and villagers about conservation issues on Mohéli. The room displays informative brochures about turtles, as well as information boards on the environment, history and culture of Hoani village and the surrounding region (see Appendices).
The Centre will act as a point of sale for handicrafts, postcards and T-shirts, revenue from which will be channeled back into conservation initiatives in the village. The postcards, T-shirts and brochures
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
Signing the MoU between C3 and FADEVICHO
(displayed in Appendices), were also distributed to other village associations throughout Mohéli and the House of Ecotourism. Two murals have been painted on the centre by Audrey Clarke (C3) and artists from Hoani. The specific designs for the paintings were chosen by FADEVICHO to portray the environment of Mohéli and the species that live within it. A menu and programme of activities for ecotourists was also compiled following discussion between C3 and FADEVICHO. By enhancing the experience of tourists, additional funds will be raised for turtle conservation activities through purchase of souvenirs and increased international awareness.
FADEVICHO is very pleased with the progress initiated by the presence of the Centre and later sent a letter of thanks to C3 and its donor agencies (see Appendices). The Centre is already generating motivation for turtle monitoring activities – villagers out on patrol were successful in arresting several poachers in the months of August and September 2006. The resounding success of this collaboration was formalized in 2006 when C3 and FADEVICHO signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to conserve the important marine ecosystems of northwest Mohéli. 3.4 ACTIVITIES EVALUATION Through cooperation between C3, Mohéli Marine Park (PMM) and the communities of Mohéli, this project achieved all of its objectives. However, problems of rivalry between small village communities led to some complications. For example: Itsamia had always been the target of external intervention in turtle conservation on Mohéli, and some members of the community were disgruntled to see other villages receiving benefits for the first time. This problem was compounded since Itsamia had been the sole target for another, unsuccessful IOSEA proposal. However, by ensuring that the choice of locations for the drawing competition and Conservation Centre were based on objective assessment, the impact of the project was in fact maximized. The activities from this project were presented at the International Society for Reef Studies Conference in Bremen, October 2006, Reef Conservation UK Annual Meeting in December 2006, International Sea Turtle Society Symposium in February 2007 and at workshops held on Mohéli and Grande Comore in April and June 2007 (see Appendices for presentations). It was suggested by the PMM Management Committee that, in the future, the success of the Day of the Turtle should be spread throughout Mohéli; with a different village hosting the event each year to ensure a sense of ownership for all Mohelians. All collaborating parties have agreed that the initiation of community conservation efforts for turtles in the northwest region of Mohéli is an unanticipated and extremely positive result to emerge from this project.
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C3-Comores
Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - MohĂŠli, Comoros
4. FINANCIAL REPORT 4.1 FINANCIAL STATEMENT Day of the Turtle Refreshments
$528
Photocopying
38
Minibus rental
108
Competition prizes
235
Sound equipment
81
$991
Schools drawing competition Crayons
11
Paper
31
Posters
138
T shirts
443
Transport (including winners' trip and distribution of prizes)
174
$797
Hoani Conservation Centre Furniture and materials
455
Renovation of centre (including mural and information boards)
139
Transport
85
$679
General Final workshop (refreshments and travel)
100
Brochures
173
Postcards
236
Bank transfer charges
24
Total expenses
$533 $3000
I certify that the above financial statement is a true representation of expenses incurred during activities carried out by C3 for the project described in this report. Patricia Z. R. Davis, Director, C3 18th June 2007 4.2 FINANCIAL EVALUATION This project ran closely to its predicted budget. The only discrepancies arose from the request by PMM and ADSEI to use $1000 to contribute to the Day of the Turtle celebration. This money was taken from the budget allocated to the opening ceremony of the Conservation Centre, which worked well, since FADEVICHO was happy to arrange and finance the opening ceremony themselves. Overall, however, this project is a good example of international cooperation to achieve outstanding results and excellent value for money.
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Turtle information centre and awareness-raising campaign - Mohéli, Comoros
PMM ecoguard ‘Bush’ teaching turtle ID
C3-Comores
5. APPENDICES
Conservation Centre mural
5.1 LETTER OF THANKS FROM HOANI 5.2 DRAWING COMPETITION CERTIFICATE 5.3 T-SHIRT AND POSTER DESIGN 5.4 HOANI ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION POSTER 5.5 HOANI CULTURAL INFORMATION POSTER 5.6 IOSEA POSTCARD 5.7 TURTLE INFORMATION BROCHURE 5.8 ISRS POSTER PRESENTATION 5.9 RCUK POSTER PRESENTATION 5.10 ISTS ORAL PRESENTATIONS 5.11 IOSEA YEAR OF THE TURTLE FACTSHEET
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IOSEA Année de la Tortue Juillet 2006 Mohéli ATTESTATION DE MERITE Le Parc Marin Mohéli (PMM) et l’ONG Conservation Centrée sur la Communauté (C3) ont le plaisir de décerner la présente attestation à entre connaissance des efforts qu’il a fait preuve au concours du dessin Le Responsable du PMM
Le Responsable de C3
M. Kamardine Boinali
Mme. Patricia Davis
Nous risquons de perdre nos voisines les tortues. On peut les protéger en adoptant une quelques règles simples de conduite: Ne pas déranger l’animal durant la ponte (ni lampe, ni contact tactile avec l’animal). Les nids non plus ne doivent pas être dérangés. Lors du processus de nidification, les tortues utilisent beaucoup d’énergie . Tout stress ajouté à cet effort peut la faire retourner à l’eau ou pire, interrompre la nidification.
LES TORTUES DE MER
Protégeons également les herbiers marins (source de nourriture pour la tortue verte) des sédiments boueux (résultat de la déforestation) et des épandages d’ordures ménagères. Gardons les plages propres, préservons la forêt, surveillons les littoraux et sensibilisons notre entourage à la protection de l’environnement.
Les tortues de mer occupent les océans depuis 100 millions d’années. Les tortues passent la plus grande partie de leur vie dans l’eau et se rendent à terre pour pondre lors de la nidification. Les tortues respirent de l’air, mais leur corps de forme hydrodynamique est adapté à la vie marine. Pour plus de renseignements sur les tortues de mer contactez:
CONSERVATION CENTREE SUR LA COMMUNAUTE
Les tortues sont inscrites sur la Convention du commerce international des espèces menacées d’extinction (CITES) et sont strictement protégées par le gouvernement Comorien.
BP8310, Iconi, Grande Comore tel. +269 73 75 04 GSM +269 36 75 06
Soyons responsables ensemble!
info@c-3.org.uk IOSEA: www.ioseaturtles.org
www.c-3.org.uk
Les tortues de mer à Mohéli
Le cycle de vie d’une tortue
L’île de Mohéli , connue pour ses tortues est la seconde île de l’Océan Indien la plus fréquentées par les tortues vertes. Il n’y a que douze sites au monde comptant les mêmes populations de tortues vertes. Les tortues que l’on trouve à Mohéli sont la tortue verte (Chelonia mydas) et la tortue imbriquée
Elle commence la nuit ou la femelle rampe sur la plage pour pondre. Celle-ci creuse une chambre avec ses pattes postérieures et y dépose ses œufs. Cette tortue reviendra créer d'autres nids à des intervalles de 8 à 15 jours et jusqu'à un maximum de 14 fois selon l’espèce.
(Eretmochelys imbricata).
L’incubation dure entre 45 et 70 jours. Après l'éclosion, les bébés grimpent le long de la paroi du nid. Leur instinct les dirige vers la partie la plus brillante de l’horizon qui est la mer sur laquelle se reflète la lumière de lune.
La tortue verte La tortue verte est la plus grande des deux espèces de tortues côtoyant l’île de Mohéli. Son poids moyen est de 175kg et sa longueur de 110 cm. Leur période de reproduction se situe entre 15 et 30 ans. Les tortues de mer ne pondent pas tous les ans. Les tortues vertes pondent en moyenne 120 œufs et ce plusieurs fois dans l’année de reproduction. Aux Comores, les tortues vertes utilisent les plages de ponte durant la majeure partie de l’année, avec une fréquentation plus accrue durant le mois de juillet.
Emportés par les vagues, les bébés tortues mangeront ensuite des invertébrés jusqu’à atteindre 20 ou 30cm (en 2 ans environ). Ces années sont libellées comme les années perdues car peu d’information existent sur les premières étapes de la vie d’une tortue. Les juvéniles rejoindront les adultes et festoieront au sein des herbiers et barrières de corail, ils sont alors assez grands pour éviter les prédateurs.
La tortue imbriquée La tortue imbriquée est plutôt omnivore, mangeant les herbiers marins, les éponges, les crustacés et autres invertébrés. Son poids moyen est 60kg et sa longueur 82cm. Elle pond en moyenne 160 œufs. Aux Comores les tortues imbriquées pondent plutôt entre décembre et mars.
Protégeons la tortue Les tortues sont menacées dans le monde entier et Mohéli est l’un des sites importants pour la ponte des tortues. Il est donc nécessaire de les protéger. Les tortues sont très sensibles aux activités humaines (destruction de son habitat, braconnage...) et ne peuvent se reproduire qu’à partir d' une population minimale de 30 spécimens. Les populations les plus réduites ont beaucoup de difficulté à se reconstituer. A Mohéli, les problèmes fréquents de braconnage de viande et œufs de tortues, la perturbation des tortues lors de la ponte et la destruction des herbiers créent des menaces pour ces espèces en voie de disparition.
Photo: Jon Rudderforth
C3-COMORES 2006
TRAINING, EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOR SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION IN THE COMOROS
Union of the Comoros -5000+ nesting Green turtles annually -Poaching – most significant threat -Poverty -Funding and sustainability -National Turtle Conservation Action Plan 2000
AIDE
Summary of activities (1) Training
-Community ecoguards and ecoguides -Law-enforcement workshop
(2) Education and Awareness
-Schools drawing competition -Junior ecoguards -Village events -Turtle Conservation Centre
(3) Research
- Quarterly beach monitoring - Turtle meat survey
Community ecoguards and ecoguides -Formal training programme – taught by Marine Park ecoguards and C3 -Theoretical and fieldwork components -Final exam, required pass mark and certificate -Immediate increase in poaching convictions -Voluntary nightly beach patrols -Community monitoring programme -Increased capacity for ecotourism
1
Law enforcement workshop -Held November 2006 following community frustration at low conviction rates for turtle poaching -Communities taking law into their own hands -Police pledged to take turtle poaching seriously -C3 to provide training courses to law enforcement officers in 2007 -Turtle MPA in Northwestern Moheli?
Junior ecoguards -Group of Mohelian teenagers united to protect their natural environment -Awareness-raising events -Turtle sketch -Training with adult ecoguards -Assisted with C3’s research -Excellent role models for their peers -Fun and income generation for activities -To be initiated in 5 other villages in 2007
Schools drawing competition -Information session and drawing competition at schools in the 5 Mohelian villages most affected by poaching -Coordinated by Marine Park ecoguards and C3 -1st, 2nd and 3rd prize certificates -Winners taken to view nesting turtles -Poster and T shirt produced depicting the winning drawings
Village events -Day of the Turtle 2006, Itsamia -Organized annually -Competitions, dancing, celebration -Free visit to turtle nesting beach
-Awareness raising presentations from Marine Park ecoguards -Promotion of turtles and dugongs as flagship species -Excellent response from all communities
2
Hoani Conservation Centre -Information centre -Headquarters for conservation activities -Point of sale for handicrafts and souvenirs
-Turtle database for the northwest Moimbasa region -Improved facilities planned for 2007
Turtle meat survey -Socioeconomic survey of poachers and law enforcers -Willingness and potential for alternatives -Health aspects
-Expand survey to Grande Comore and Anjouan -Research alternative sources of meat in 2007… hedgehogs?
Quarterly beach monitoring -Counts of carapaces, tracks and nests on 10 most important Mohelian beaches -Carried out quarterly
-Provides simple information for local communities -Further training still required for effective monitoring programme
Future projects • Turtle meat survey expanded to Grande Comore and Anjouan • Awareness-raising work on Grande Comore and Anjouan • Formalization of a turtle protected area in the north west of Moheli and reinforcement of justice system
3
MARAHABA
Questions?
www.c-3.org.uk
4
COMMUNITY CENTRED CONSERVATION C3-COMORES
COMMUNITY-MANAGED SEA TURTLE MONITORING AND PROTECTION ON MOHÉLI, UNION OF THE COMOROS
Union of the Comoros -Highly significant Green turtle nesting sites -Monitoring programmes – problems with sustainability -Poaching – most significant threat -Mohéli Marine Park provides some protection -Important nesting beaches outside Park boundaries
Chris Poonian, Cheikh Moussa & Hamada Issoufi
AIDE
Village of Hoani
Priorities (1) Community involvement (2) Sustainability (3) Governmental support
1
Training of ecoguards and ecoguides
Nema Madi – First ever female Comorian ecoguard
-Formal training programme – taught by Marine Park ecoguards and C3 -Theoretical and fieldwork components -Final exam, required pass mark and certificate -Immediate increase in poaching convictions -Voluntary nightly beach patrols -Community monitoring programme -Increased capacity for ecotourism
Awareness raising -Schools awareness and drawing competition
-Village events assisted by newly trained ecoguards
95%
Quarterly beach monitoring -Counts of carapaces, tracks and nests on 10 most important MohĂŠlian beaches, including 2 beaches in the Northwest -Carried out quarterly -Provides simple information and feedback for local communities -Further training still required for effective monitoring programme
2
Hoani Conservation Centre -Information centre -Headquarters for conservation activities -Point of sale for handicrafts and souvenirs -Turtle database for the northwest Moimbasa region -Improved facilities planned for 2007
Governmental support • Decentralisation of Comorian government still causing difficulties • Proposed MoU between villages in Northwest region of Mohéli • Reinforcement of legal system
Sustainability -Ecotourism: Menus, activities, souvenirs -Share of fine from poaching convictions -Is ecotourism cost-effective? -Are other sustainable livelihoods a more viable option?
Future priorities • Further training and logistical support • Improved publicity for tourism facilities • Inter-village connections
3
MARAHABA
MARAHABA
Questions?
www.c-3.org.uk
4
IOSEA Year of the Turtle 2006 – Fact Sheet A ‘Year of the Turtle’ campaign has been declared for the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA) region in 2006. With a theme of “Cooperating to Conserve Marine Turtles – our Ocean's Ambassadors”, the campaign aims to unite nations and communities to celebrate marine turtles and to support their conservation. The Year of the Turtle will increase public awareness and understanding of the threats faced by marine turtles, and will highlight the work of dedicated organisations that are striving to conserve these ancient creatures and the habitats on which they depend. The campaign is being organised under the framework of an international agreement known as the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement now has nearly 25 Signatory States from across the region, stretching from Jordan to Australia, and South Africa to the Philippines. The agreement is complemented by the efforts of countless non-governmental organisations at national and local levels. The ‘Year of the Turtle’ campaign has five main objectives, which can be summarized as follows:
Celebrating marine turtles: organising and hosting events to raise awareness and funds for marine turtle conservation; Ensuring a future: developing and applying best practices to ensure the long-term survival of marine turtles, while involving and benefiting local communities; Saving habitats: identifying important areas for marine turtles and lobbying for their protection within a site network; Reducing mortality: encouraging sustainable use of turtle resources, and applying practices that reduce accidental death of turtles in fishing operations; and Studying turtles: supporting or taking part in scientific research to better understand how best to conserve these highly migratory animals.
Year of the Turtle activities and events are underway in many countries of region. For a complete list of activities please view the online event calendar: http://www.ioseaturtles.org/yot2006/. These exciting activities include, by way of example : preparation by Australian primary students of an educational book about turtles ; a two-day Koh Tao (Turtle Island) Underwater Festival for divers in Thailand ; a “Turtle Witness Camp” to monitor mass nesting of Oliv e ridley turtles in Orissa, India; tagging of Hawksbill turtles that nest on Shidvar Island, Iran; special beach patrols and education for local communities in Tanzania; and, on Reunion island, France, public planting of trees on beaches to stop erosion at important marine turtle nesting sites. For more information on this special campaign, please contact the IOSEA Secretariat. IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU Secretariat, c/o UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific United Nations Building, Rajdam nern Avenue, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand Tel: + (662) 288 1471 ; Fax: + (662) 280 3829 ; E-mail: yot2006@un.org