ISTS42 Program/Agenda

The Marine Turtle Conservation Act (MTCA) has been contributing to the protection and recovery of sea turtle populations and conservation of nesting habitat for two decades. This is based directly on the 2004 authorizing legislation and includes financial and technical support for projects throughout the world to conserve marine turtle populations and nesting beaches, as well as address key threats to their survival.

Marine turtle biology and threat complexity require a long-term endeavor for the protection and recovery of these species. As we evaluate our strategy to carry out the purpose of the MTCA and our requirement for “each program be designed with clear goals, objectives, and measures” (2 CFR 200.301), we set up a roadmap to depict the relationship between the MTCA and its intended impacts. The roadmap connects the resources provided and the activities conducted to the desired outcomes, aligning with the MTCA.

The activities of the MTCA can achieve important outcomes by reducing critical anthropogenic threats such as bycatch, coastal development, poaching, and trafficking, and measure our success in the short-term. Transdisciplinary teams who work together to problem solve on threats can support techniques that will address marine turtle threats using a “whole-system thinking” approach (Connell and Carter 2022) to better understand the drivers of exploitation, alternate livelihoods, and community engagement. Setting up measurable indicators of progress in the short term will allow us to adapt our approach over time and incorporate effective methods to progress a sustainable conservation approach.

Growing conservation efforts of enduring value around the world requires more than addressing threats in the short-term, but rather engaging individuals from a range of backgrounds, experience, and expertise to be resilient, conservation leaders within their community (Appleton et al. 2021, Porzecanski et al. 2022). Over the last ten-years, an increasing number of community-led conservation efforts have proven successful in protecting and managing biodiversity throughout the world. Community-led conservation incorporates community socioeconomic knowledge and conservation to promote stewardship. The goal of the community-led approach is to increase conservation efforts while providing for the well-being of those communities. Drawing on cultural knowledge and expertise to address the anthropogenic threats faced by those species has also been found to promote sustained conservation efforts and foster conservation stewardship.

As we work toward a framework to guide our MTCA program implementation into the future, we seek to incorporate these effective methods toward a sustainable conservation approach. Promoting engagement with local communities and other relevant stakeholders and measuring our progress along the way will further long-term success and durability of conservation investments.

Citations

Appleton, M.R., Barborak, J.R., Daltry, J.C., Long, B., O’Connell, M., Owen, N.R. 2021. How should conservation be professionalized? Oryx, 56, 654-653.

O'Connell, M. and M. Carter. (2022). Capacity development for conservation. Oryx, 56(5), 641-642. doi:10.1017/S0030605322000941.

Porzecanski, Ana L., et al. “A Systems Framework for Planning and Evaluating Capacity Development in Conservation: Recommendations for Practitioners.” Oryx, vol. 56, no. 5, 2022, pp. 671–680., doi:10.1017/S003060532100154X.

We quantified research trends in the field of sea turtle science by collating data from 30 years of abstracts presented annually at the International Sea Turtle Symposium – the largest scientific symposia focusing exclusively on sea turtles. From the analysis of 7370 abstracts, we revealed five key findings: (1) loggerhead and green turtles were studied more than any other species; (2) the most studied Regional Management Units (RMUs) were typically those in the North Atlantic Ocean while the least studies were in the Indian Ocean; (3) almost half of all sea turtle studies were conducted on nesting beaches, leaving juveniles and adult males extensively understudied; (4) the most studied threat to sea turtles was fisheries bycatch although the proportion of studies on climate change increased rapidly after 2006; and (5) mark-recapture was the most utilized method for studying sea turtles but its use has dropped proportionately alongside an increased use of more modern tools such as satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis, and genetics. We conclude that long-standing biases exist in sea turtle science and this has lead to many regions, habitats, and life-stages being chronically understudied. While trends suggest that these biases are slowly being addressed, efforts are still required to ensure that future studies effectively address the greatest conservation needs or fill the largest knowledge gaps on a truly global-scale.

Because sea turtles range across vast geographic ranges throughout the global tropics and subtropics where they are exposed to variations in threats and environmental conditions, it is challenging to establish consistent, globally applicable priorities for their conservation. The IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) launched the Burning Issues (BI) workshop series in 2003 with the aim to better direct on-the-ground conservation actions toward the highest priorities for preventing extinctions.

The first six Burning Issues (BI) workshops culminated in two seminal publications: 1) describing regional management units (RMUs) for all sea turtle species (2010), and 2) a conservation priorities portfolio (CPP) evaluating the risk and threat to each RMU (2011). More than 10 years later, the MTSG’s seventh Burning Issues workshop (BI-7) was undertaken to not only improve and update past outputs, but also to move beyond them to recommend even finer-scale priority setting for sea turtle habitats.

BI-7 is a collaborative, inclusive, and science-based initiative intended to draw the most accurate and comprehensive picture possible of global sea turtle conservation status to guide policymakers, managers, funders, and others to take effective conservation actions.

Since early 2020, BI-7 has cultivated a collaborative space for MTSG experts and others to contribute their expertise and unique perspectives to generate a suite of freely available products that partners worldwide can use to inform and advance conservation strategies. BI-7 products include:

1. Guidelines and criteria for delineating Important Marine Turtle Areas, which consider not only areas of biological significance to sea turtles, but also culturally significant areas;

2. An update of RMUs and genetic stocks that incorporated information from >1,000 sources published since 2009;

3. An update of the CPP, including the original risk and threats criteria (2010), as well as new criteria such as conservation dependency and conservation capacity.

The BI-7 co-creation process has included several webinars; a powerful, shared ArcGIS platform to enable updates to RMU boundaries; multiple surveys and shared working documents; subject-matter expert reviews of inputs to ensure consistency; and flexible deadlines to maximize opportunities for participation by the largest possible number of experts globally.

In addition to reviewing the above products, we will describe the iterative, collaborative processes that made these products possible, and the lessons learned from the nearly 20 years of work leading up to their completion. At least 150 different individuals from dozens of countries were able to participate in BI-7, and will ultimately appear as co-authors on the resulting products.

We are proud and excited to share the results of the MTSG’s BI-7 Workshop with the ISTS community, and hope that our results will serve to focus, coordinate, strengthen and speed sea turtle conservation globally.

Marine turtles are highly mobile species, and they are exposed to multiple threats through their habitats. In the Red Sea, previous authors have identified nesting beaches for green and hawksbill turtles; however, there is still little information regarding their re-nesting success, intervals, and post-breeding displacements. As part of the Vision2030 Programme, ruled Saudi Arabia and implemented at Red Sea Global, we assessed for green and hawksbill turtles’: (a) nesting behavior; (b) distance between nesting beaches and feeding grounds (migratory pathways); and (c) location of feeding habitats. To achieve this, between 2019 and 2022, we satellite-tracked 64 female turtles (54 greens, and 10 hawksbills) from Breem, Al-Waqqadi, An’Numann Islands, and Ras Baridi beach. Nesting Success Rate (NSR-%) and the Inter-Nesting Intervals (INI-days) were calculated; and we assessed the movement of equipped turtles. In average, we tracked hawksbill turtles during 269.2 days (range= 58-416), and green turtles during 229.94 days (range= 11-437). NSR was estimated for hawksbill turtles in 85.7%, and 70.42% for green turtles; while the INI average periods had a mean of 13.72 days (range= 11-18) and 11 days (range= 9-20) respectively. Migration periods averaged 5.25 days (±5.844; range= 1.1 to 16; n=10) for hawksbills, and 19.06 days (±16.701; range= <1 to 51 days; n=52) for greens. Average distances between the nesting and feeding grounds were 121.46 km (range= 12.9-535.82; n=10), and 473.95 km (range=3.8-1,367; n=52) for hawksbill and green turtles correspondingly. Some feeding grounds overlapped between and within species, and we identified some areas that have potential to be considered as foraging hotspots as southern Jeddah bays, Ras Baridi and NEOM seagrass beds, Wadi El Gemal Hamata National Park (in Egypt), and the Dahlak Marine National Park (in Eritrea). Our results are particularly important for conservation planners, as they will inform management and conservation actions at national and international level.

In the area of marine conservation, TREE Foundation stands as an example of dedicated long term efforts, focusing primarily on the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles along the east coast of India. Established in 2002 by Dr. Supraja Dharini, inspired by the legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, the Foundation addresses the critical decline in nesting numbers of Olive Ridley turtles – a decline attributed to the destruction of ecosystems by impoverished coastal communities.

TREE Foundations primary initiative involves community-based sea turtle conservation programs, engaging 222 fishing villages across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. Through education and outreach, the Foundation has transformed 363 local young fishermen, once turtle and egg poachers, into the Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF) members. Their efforts have not only protected tens of thousands of Olive Ridley nests but have also led to the protection of over 33,60,000 hatchlings through dedicated hatcheries.

This article also explores the extensive training programs conducted by TREE Foundation, engaging 4,565 artisanal fishermen and over 3,750 government officers. The impact reverberates through coastal communities, with more than 3,75,000 individuals enlightened on the ecological significance of sea turtles. TREE Foundations strategic involvement with trawl boat owners has led to the voluntary trials of Turtle Excluder Devices, which significantly reduce accidental turtle by-catch. TREE Foundations satellite tagging of 2 Olive Ridleys and one green turtle, was a milestone as the first NGO in India to undertake this initiative.

Acknowledging the vulnerability of Olive Ridley turtles during breeding and nesting seasons, TREE Foundation collaborates with governmental agencies, including the Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department, the Department of Fisheries, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Marine Police. Through education and awareness programs, the foundation seeks to influence policies, engage communities in sustainable practices, and protect all endangered marine species. Mission Sea Turtle workshops and Endangered Marine Species workshops for the enforcement departments strengthen the network with officials.

Education remains a cornerstone of the Foundations strategy. Over 300,000 students have been reached through biodiversity awareness activities in 348 schools and colleges along the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Programs such as the Ocean Guardian School Program and Mission Sea Turtle Float have further extended the Foundations impact, covering students, teachers, and fishing communities.

Among its initiatives, TREE Foundation actively works to minimize accidental by-catch and entanglement. Through community motivation, over 110 tons of ghost nets have been retrieved since June 2021. The Foundations commitment extends further to include a stranding network, and a Rescue Rehabilitation Centre.

As TREE Foundation completes over two decades of tireless work the presentation captures the comprehensive nature of its initiatives, ranging from educational programs and guided turtle walks to the retrieval of ghost nets. The Foundations journey underscores the vital role of community engagement in the sustained conservation of sea turtles, serving as a beacon of hope for global marine conservation endeavours.