ISTS Symposium43 Program/Agenda

The ISTA program highlights the critical need for a multi-faceted approach to sea turtle conservation, combining local and global initiatives. Grassroots efforts address community-specific challenges, while global collaboration bridges knowledge gaps and shares best practices. Inwater Research Group’s ISTA program supports this approach by empowering global partners through conservation education tailored to their unique contexts.

Launched in 2023 in Acapulco, Mexico, and Bogotá, Colombia, ISTA features an interactive PowerPoint and hands-on activities using a juvenile green sea turtle model. These sessions educate participants on local sea turtle species, their ecology, human impacts, and actionable conservation measures. The program adapts to each partner’s needs by considering specific threats, cultural nuances, and realistic behavior changes.

Results were obtained through pre- and post-tests administered in Spanish to literate participants, assessing knowledge on topics like species identification, threats, and conservation actions. Only participants completing both tests were included in the analysis. The average pre- and post-test scores revealed a 37% improvement in knowledge, with 91% demonstrating increased conservation awareness. Challenges included literacy variability and excluded participants who could not take the tests, but culturally relevant tools and standardized protocols were implemented to enhance consistency.

Following its ISTS 2024 presentation, global demand for the program surged, expanding its reach to 10 countries, including the U.S.A., Costa Rica, Egypt, and several in Southeast Asia. By providing a flexible framework tailored to diverse local contexts, ISTA empowers communities worldwide, demonstrating that effective conservation requires both a global perspective and sensitivity to local needs and challenges.

Sea turtle conservation largely involve active participation of local communities living near marine ecosystems. Established in 2021, the Manyange Na Elombo Campo Marine Park aims to preserve the rich marine biodiversity while promoting the sustainable management of resources for the benefit of neighboring communities.

Sea turtles, emblematic species of this park, face numerous threats, including by catch, plastic pollution, habitat destruction, egg harvesting, and poaching for their meat. These pressures endanger their survival and disrupt the balance of marine ecosystems.

To tackle those threats, a community based organization called TUBE AWU working in and around the marine park is implementing several activities including outreach in school and sensitization within communities.

In this context, over 200 fishers from 10 local associations have been mobilized to integrate environmental awareness and participatory science into conservation efforts. Since 2018, 25 awareness sessions have reached 500 people, and 750 kg of plastic waste have been collected through cleanup campaigns. Since 2022, our environmental education program has engaged 7 primary and secondary schools, raising awareness among approximately 1,000 children. We also organize annual cultural events, fostering community involvement in preserving natural heritage, alongside collecting biological data, with 50 samples taken from accidentally captured turtles.

The results show a significant 50% increase in the reporting of accidental captures, with one in two fishers now releasing live turtles caught unintentionally. These improvements highlight the positive impact of community awareness on fishing behaviors, reducing the accidental mortality of sea turtles.

This participatory model, based on co-education and community empowerment, fosters shared awareness and active protection of this endangered species. It offers a replicable approach for other coastal regions in West Africa, providing a sustainable solution to marine conservation challenges.

Keywords: conservation, sea turtles, community awareness, participatory science, accidental captures, Manyange Na Elombo Campo Marine Park.

A technical and practical nesting management training programme has been established in Cabo Verde as part of the LIFE TURTLENEST project, which takes a multidisciplinary approach to protect emerging loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting habitats in the western Mediterranean. The project aims to foster collaboration between Italy, Spain, and France to mitigate the threats posed by coastal development and increasing tourism pressure on beaches, which, due to global warming, are becoming warmer and more suitable for nesting. This training is designed to yield high-impact results by building the capacity of technicians in the western Mediterranean to be able to make conservation decisions, that support the survival and resilience of the species in the region. Additionally, it ensures that personnel in the three countries obtain formal certification, validating their competence in this specialised field.

Cabo Verde, currently recognised as potentially the world's largest nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles, provides an ideal setting for this training. During the peak nesting season, more than 100 nests per kilometre are recorded nightly in the surveyed areas, while the hatchery manages more than 600 nests per season. These conditions enable intensive hands-on training in nest, females and hatchling management every night along a small stretch of coastline. Over a two-week period, participants acquire essential skills such as managing nesting females, assessing site suitability for nest incubation (including clutch identification and relocation decisions), and conducting nest and hatchling monitoring and management. These activities are carried out in accordance with western Mediterranean sea turtle conservation protocols and the specific local contexts of each participating country.

The training is organised in collaboration with BIOS.CV’s Sea Turtle Conservation Camp, a local organisation that monitors 5 km of coastline each season within the Reserva Natural das Tartarugas on Boa Vista Island. This location offers an optimal environment for experiential learning and facilitates the exchange of nesting management strategies between participants and trainees from both emerging and well-established nesting areas. During the first edition, in August 2024, each participant assessed on average more than 900 tracks, approximately 500 nests, and managed 200 nesting females.

The programme is aimed at environmental technicians, government conservation managers, and sea turtle researchers from Italy, Spain, and France, and it will be repeated and improved based on this first experience in the following years. In Italy, certification obtained through this training will become a mandatory requirement for individuals involved in the study and management of sea turtle nests within the country.

The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival, organized annually on Naifaru Island by the Atoll Marine Conservation Centre (a division of the Maldivian NGO Naifaru Juvenile), promotes awareness about sea turtle conservation and the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem. The festival encourages the local community to understand their environmental impact and empowers them to make positive changes. It is especially designed for local students, providing educational experiences in marine conservation and opportunities to participate in efforts to protect wildlife and habitats.

The festival’s main goals include: ignite passion for the environment, balancing culture with sustainability; to educate youth about marine ecosystems, informing the community on waste management impacts, and guiding resorts on sea turtle rescue and nest protection; data collection on community attitudes toward the marine environment and effective communication and engagement.

Launched in 2016, the festival marked its seventh edition in 2024. For the 2023 event, the program expanded to two days, with the first day dedicated to the Atoll Marine Symposium. This symposium covers topics like marine megafauna, climate change, and coral restoration, featuring presentations from various NGOs and government organizations, as well as discussion panels. This collaborative forum allows citizens, scientists, NGOs, and students to discuss pressing environmental issues facing the Maldives.

The second day is the main festival, offering stalls, contests, and activities for all ages. Local schools, NGOs, and other organizations host interactive booths to promote conservation awareness and community involvement. Competitions for students focus on recycling, with activities like creating sculptures from waste, recycled fashion, and sand turtle sculptures. Community-wide contests include traditional dance, recycling challenges, and underwater photography. Additionally, a large-scale plastic bottle collection takes place a week before the festival, awarding the group that gathers the most waste.

The festival has grown significantly since its inception, with approximately 1,000 attendees in the first year, half of whom were children from Naifaru and nearby islands. Over the years, schools from five atolls, including Lhaviyani and Malé, have participated, and interest from nearby resorts and the local community has steadily increased. This engagement reflects the festival’s success in promoting recycling and environmental awareness.

Looking ahead, the festival aims to expand school participation and strengthen the symposium to attract more local leaders, especially public officials, whose decisions influence local and national policies. This growth supports the festival’s mission to foster a conservation-minded community with lasting impacts on marine life and environmental health.

The Gulf of Aqaba is home to four primary marine turtle species: hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and, less frequently, leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). Hawksbill and green turtles are particularly prevalent in the shallow coral reef areas, which serve as essential feeding and nesting grounds. However, the Gulf's status as a hub for activities such as fishing, shipping, tourism, and recreational diving creates significant anthropogenic pressures on these habitats, highlighting the urgent need for effective conservation measures. In response to threats from bycatch and other human-induced risks, the Jordan Society for the Conservation of Turtles and Tortoises (JSCT) initiated a project aimed at enhancing the conservation of marine turtles and reducing bycatch in the region’s commercial fisheries. This project focuses on decreasing marine turtle injuries and mortality caused by fishing operations and boat strikes through public awareness and skill-building programs tailored to fishers and marine personnel.The project’s first phase involved conducting surveys among key stakeholders, including the Royal Jordanian Navy and local fishers, to evaluate their awareness and practices in marine turtle conservation. This was followed by a workshop designed to deepen participants' understanding of marine turtles, their ecological roles, and the risks associated with fishing activities. Workshop participants received general information on the conservation of marine turtles, threats they encounter, and effective bycatch reduction strategies. Training sessions also covered the proper steps for rescuing and rehabilitating captured turtles, with rescue kits distributed to several naval vessels and fishers to support these efforts. Survey findings revealed that 90% of the fishing gear used in the Gulf is longline equipment, and 5% of fishers reported incidental marine turtle captures. Furthermore, 90% of these fishers could not identify the species of captured turtles, and 65% lacked the knowledge necessary to safely handle and release them. Through theoretical and practical training sessions, approximately 70 fishers and 35 members of the Royal Jordanian Navy have gained skills in reducing bycatch and learned about the biology and ecology of marine turtles in the Gulf of Aqaba. This knowledge aims to improve conservation practices and support long-term protection efforts for marine turtles in the region. The JSCT seeks to perform effectively through an integrated national network including improve coordination and communication between fishermen, rehabilitation facilities, government coordinators and related stakeholders.

Key words : Marine turtles, Gulf of Al Aqaba, Bycatch, Survey, Training

The Kingdom of Morocco extends from the Mediterranean into the Atlantic Ocean with a coastline of 3,446 km. Little nesting takes place in the country, but juvenile and sub-adults loggerheads are the most commonly encountered species in these waters. Evaluating and mitigating mortality of sea turtles in Moroccan fisheries and creating a greater awareness for their protection are crucial to the survival and recovery of several nesting populations in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Efforts have been underway since 1999 to organize sea turtle workshops at major ports, and recruit and train fishermen to collect data on turtles caught in their fishing gear. More recently, women’s groups were created in northwestern Morocco to promote the involvement of local women (fishermen’s wives, and women who go fishing and diving) in addressing fisheries issues and marine conservation. The women’s groups are engaged in beach clean-ups, ocean surface garbage clean-ups, and in education and awareness activities about plastics and the proper disposal of discarded fishing gear and garbage by the fishermen. A marine education program has also been started for their children by high school students and includes quizzes, drawing competitions, etc. Theatrical plays and short films by fishermen children were produced and published on social networks. Activities of the women and children have been filmed and will be played back to them and other communities to generate further discussion about marine issues. The goal is to gradually make this a national women’s and children’s network. By making marine conservation a family activity, where fishermen’s wives /children can begin to influence their husbands/fathers, the project hopes to have an even bigger impact on sea turtle conservation in Morocco.