AACCTTIIOONN PPLLAANN FFOORR TTHHEE

CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN OOFF

MMAARRIINNEE TTUURRTTLLEESS

IINN GGUUIINNEEAA--BBIISSSSAAUU

IBAP - Bissau

February 2008

AACCTTIIOONN PPLLAANN FFOORR TTHHEE

CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN OOFF

MMAARRIINNEE TTUURRTTLLEESS

IINN GGUUIINNEEAA--BBIISSSSAAUU

Compiled by Paulo Catry

in consultation with IBAP staff and national and international turtle specialists.

Photos by J.F. Hellio & N. Van Ingen / PRCM

Bissau 2008

Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Turtles in

Guinea-Bissau

Executive Summary

Sea turtles used to be, in not a too distant past, extremely abundant and a major element shaping coastal ecosystems all over the world. Today, most species are globally threatened. Guinea-Bissau is one of the most important countries in Africa for sea turtles. Five species nest in this country and the green turtle Chelonia mydas nesting site on the island of Poilão (Bijagós archipelago), with between ca. 7,500 and 20,000 clutches deposited every year, is amongst the 10 most important green turtle sites in the world, and probably the most important rookery in the whole of the African continent. Sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau are particularly threatened by the harvest of adult females and eggs on the nesting beaches and by incidental mortality in fishing gear (both by small-scale coastal fisheries and by industrial offshore fishing vessels). There are a number of other less important threats, which may become more severe in the future, such as oil pollution and climate change.

Considerable efforts have been made, over the past 10 to 20 years, to improve the situation of coastal biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau, including sea turtles. Major achievements include a much better knowledge of the status, distribution and threats to marine turtles, as well as the creation of a network of protected areas. On the negative side, protected areas have displayed a relatively low capacity to enforce protection rules and laws, and local communities have not been sufficiently involved in marine turtle conservation. Furthermore, knowledge on sea turtles and interactions with humans still presents significant gaps and marine turtles have been insufficiently exploited as a resource for the development on an eco-tourist industry. The present action plan identifies strategic guidelines for the conservation of sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau. Those guidelines are presented in the form of project outlines. Such outlines are relatively detailed in some cases, while in others are no more than an overview of the major needs, possibilities of action and stakeholders to involve. If and when potential funds or donors are identified or made available, project plans will be developed in much greater detail, with precise objectives, chronograms, predicted outputs, etc. IBAP, the institute in charge of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas in Guinea-Bissau will also use it own resources in an attempt to carry out some activities, irrespective of the success in securing external funding. The present action plan will guide IBAP when preparing its detailed annual activity plans.

The Vision We aim at the long-term conservation of all species of marine turtles occurring in Guinea-Bissau, to the benefit of local people, and to the benefit of the wider community (national and international) through the preservation of this common heritage. Central to this idea is the use of marine turtles as important resources for the promotion of eco-tourism, as flagship species to environmental education and fund-raising for biodiversity conservation, and as biological indicators for the marine environment.

The projects, although inter-related in several ways, can be taken in isolation and

implemented with well-defined net benefits. Great care was put into proposing actions that were thought to be realistic and cost-effective. For example, surveillance and active protection of nesting beaches was only suggested where and when we felt that the benefits would better justify the investment. All proposed management and environmental education actions, if implemented, are highly likely to reduce mortality of turtles in at least one stage of their life cycle. This will be beneficial because there is strong evidence that the populations are decreasing. Also, all proposed research is of a uniquely applied nature. In every case, once the investigations are concluded (at latest by the end of the relevant projects) it will be possible to immediately propose concrete conservation actions. However, conservation of marine turtles is a long-term project, and we suggest monitoring techniques that will allow long-term assessment of population trends by future researchers and managers, well beyond the conclusion of the proposed projects. (Please find a table with a summary of projects in the following pages)

Summary of Projects and activities of the Action Plan

Strategic axis / project Objectives Priority Time scale Main Actors 1. Protection and monitoring of the most important nesting beaches in the Bijagós archipelago (PNO, PNMJVP, Unhocomo, Unhocomozinho).

1. To prevent or reduce sea turtle mortality (adults, eggs and hatchlings) on the most important nesting beaches of Guinea-Bissau.

2. To more accurately quantify the magnitude of marine turtle nesting on the Orango National Park, Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho and to provide baseline data that will allow the identification of population trends in the future.

3. To involve local communities in the protection of sea turtles and develop compensatory sustainable development projects with those communities.

4. To monitor population changes and relate those to management practices.

5. To quantify the incidence of potential threats, such as people harvesting turtles or eggs on the nesting beaches, or the presence of fishing boats on the mating grounds in front of those beaches.

6. As a subsidiary objective, the systematic patrolling of the beaches of the Orango National Park will allow the establishment of a monitoring scheme for hippopotamuses Hippopotamus amphibius with marine habitats, which represent one of the main biodiversity values of the park.

High Ongoing, Long

IBAP Local communities Regional NGOs INEP CIPA Expatriate turtle researchers

2. Creating and implementing partnerships for the surveillance and protection of inshore mating and foraging grounds.

1. To create solid partnerships with other state institutions for the effective

surveillance of fisheries reserves. 2. To implement a surveillance program targeting sites and times of the

year where and when sea-turtles are particularly vulnerable to coastal fisheries, reducing their mortality in fishing gear to insignificant levels within the MPAs.

High Long IBAP FISCAP Regional Authorities Police Military

3. Assessment and reduction of turtle mortality due to industrial fisheries in Guinea-Bissau waters.

1. Quantify the annual bycatch of turtles, and associated mortality for each

marine turtle species, by the industrial fishing fleet. 2. Ensure that marine turtles caught accidentally are assisted and

released when captured alive. 3. Change the national legislation and the fisheries agreements with other

nations so that the use of turtle excluder devices becomes compulsory on any trawlers working in the waters under national Guinea-Bissau jurisdiction.

4. Educate foreign fisherman and owners of fishing vessels that operate in

High Long IBAP FISCAP INEP CIPA PRCM International NGOs Ministry of Fisheries Fishing companies

Africa on the importance to adopt procedures that minimise fisheries bycatch.

5. Promote the compulsory use of turtle friendly fishing techniques and fishing gear at the European Union level, specifically targeting fishing operations working in the tropics.

4. Research on sea turtle ecology, distribution and interactions with people in Guinea-Bissau, and dissemination of results.

1. To assess the importance of unexplored potential turtle nesting beaches.

2. To study the nest predation levels on remote islands where predator management could be considered, mainly in relation to introduced predators such as pigs.

3. To study the importance of turtles for local communities, rules and practices of harvest of eggs and females. To investigate if turtle products are reaching local markets.

4. To assess the probable implications for management and conservation of medium to long-term climate changes.

5. To determine the location of key migration corridors and foraging areas for turtles (Olive Ridley, Hawksbill) nesting in the Bijagós and identify the foraging areas of immature green turtles.

6. To write and publish a book on the marine turtles of Guinea-Bissau targeting the scientific community, conservation officers and the general public.

Low Medium Medium Medium Low Medium

Short Short Short Short Short Short

IBAP IBAP Expatriate turtle researchers University College, London London Zoological Soc. Expatriate turtle researchers IBAP Expatriate turtle researchers IBAP Expatriate turtle researchers

5. Implementation of an environmental education campaign targeting multiple society levels and stakeholders to raise the profile of sea-turtles and enhance other conservation measures.

1. To reduce the harvest of laying females and eggs on the most important nesting areas by disseminating information on the protected status of turtles and by educating local communities and giving the incentives through the linking of development aid to conservation actions.

2. To reduce the accidental catch of sea turtles in fishing nets and promote the release of turtles caught alive through education of fisherman and through the promotion of the use of turtle-friendly fishing techniques.

3. To promote the approval of favourable legislation and the effective implementation of enforcement measures by educating government officials and decision-makers.

4. To raise the profile of sea turtles nationally, across of society levels.

Medium Short IBAP Palmeirinha Other National NGOs

6. Development of a sustainable tourist use of the marine turtle resource.

1. Provide assistance in the field for the experimental set-up of eco-tourism activities.

2. Train Park guards and members of the local population as tourist guides.

3. Produce printed materials that support eco-tourist activities.

4. Ensure that any tourist use of the beaches will not threaten the nesting turtles or affect breeding success.

Medium Medium IBAP Orango Parque Hotel Other tourist operators Turtle researchers Local communities

Foreword This document intends to provide broad guidelines for the action of IBAP, national and international NGOs and other partners engaged in activities aiming at the conservation of marine turtles and other coastal biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau, for the benefit of local people and the wider community. The document identifies the main priorities of action and gives suggestions (some more detailed than others) for implementation. It is written in such a way that the main strategic axes of intervention can be easily converted into specific projects. As such, the document can be used as a fund-raising tool. Many ideas presented here were originally developed by Annette C. Broderick, Paulo Catry & António Araújo in collaboration with several national technicians, including Olívio Fortes, António José Pires, Castro Barbosa and Abílio Said Rachid, back in 1998, when the first national action plan for marine turtles was drafted. Although considerable progress was achieved in the 10 years elapsed since the first action plan, many of the priorities of action remain the same in the face of ever increasing pressures resulting from human activities. However, all actions have been revised and updated in light of new knowledge and realities. The present action plan benefited greatly from discussions with national marine turtles specialists and IBAP staff, including Alfredo Simão da Silva, Cristina Schwarz, Castro Barbosa, Justino Biai, João Sousa Cordeiro, Bucar Indjai and Amadeu Almeida. The preparation of the current action plan was funded through the GEF project on the management of biodiversity resources in the coastal region of Guinea-Bissau (PGBZCGB).

Background__________________________________

Why Conserve Marine Turtles? Centuries ago, marine turtles are thought to have been extremely abundant, playing a major role in the marine ecosystems where they occurred. Green turtles, for example, shaped local communities of fauna and flora by acting as significant grazers of algae and aquatic higher plants. Marine turtles, due to their large size and particular body form and lifestyle, captured the imagination of ancient and modern people. In the past they represented an important resource in the form of eggs and turtle meat. Presently, they are icons for environmental initiatives, often acting as flagship species for conservation programs.

Centuries of harvest of adults and eggs and a variety of more modern threats left turtle populations at a small fraction of what they used to be. Presently, all marine turtle species are included in Appendix 1 of CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), and all species are classified by the IUCN as

Endangered or Vulnerable. In Guinea-Bissau, conversations with the local people

of the Bijagós Archipelago reveal that in their lifetimes they have noticed the

decline and sometimes disappearance of marine turtles from many nesting

grounds. Beaches where turtles were formally abundant are now nearly empty. Conservation of marine turtles in Guinea-Bissau can be justified by the

international agreements and initiatives supported by this country. Serious efforts for the conservation of marine turtles will help raise the profile of the country in the international community and will attract the interest of donors with an environmental agenda. Furthermore, turtles can be “exploited” in a friendly way. Marine turtles are amongst the most spectacular animals that live in the coastal area of Guinea-Bissau. It is a fact of life that people like sea turtles, and many are prepared to pay just to catch a quick glimpse of a female laying eggs on a dark tropical beach, or to help a recently hatched turtle to reach the sea. Marine turtles are therefore one of the greatest natural assets of Guinea-Bissau to develop an eco-tourism industry. If properly managed, “turtle-watching” will, through the promotion of eco-tourism, help the sustainable development of the coastal area of Guinea-Bissau. However, it must be kept in mind that the development of eco-tourism will only be sustainable in the medium or long-term if local communities are involved in the activity, and directly benefit from it. Otherwise, they will lack a real incentive to participate in the management and conservation of the key resources.

Status of Marine Turtles in Guinea-Bissau Of the seven marine turtle species that live in the World’s oceans, five have been recently recorded nesting on the country: green Chelonia mydas, olive-ridley Lepidochelys olivacea, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata, loggerhead Caretta caretta and leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea. By far, the most important population, both in absolute numbers and in the international context, is the green turtle nesting population. A detailed survey in the year 2000 revealed that at least 7,400 green turtle clutches were laid in Poilão, corresponding to an estimated 2500 reproducing females (Catry et al. 2002). Green turtle reproduction shows important inter-annual variation and further detailed work in the year 2007 suggests that at least 20,000

clutches were laid in Poilão (IBAP, unpublished data). These results indicate that

Poilão is amongst the 10 most important nesting sites for this species in the

entire world and the most important site in Africa. This makes Poilão and its green turtle population one of the greatest biodiversity values of Guinea-Bissau, for which this country has a special responsibility in the context of the global

conservation of the species. Green turtles are also the most common species elsewhere in Guinea-Bissau, although in much more reduced numbers, probably no more than a few hundred nests overall for the entire region. The olive-ridley turtle is probably the second most common species with a few hundred nests per year, although in recent years there is a (still unconfirmed) suggestion that its numbers have declined sharply. Annual hawksbill nesting activity may not surpass a few dozen nests for the entire country. Leatherback and loggerhead turtles are very rare and possibly not even regular nesters at any particular location. Low levels of turtle nesting are thought to occur in virtually all sandy beaches of Guinea-Bissau. However, in most beaches nesting activity is extremely reduced, particularly on the mainland coast. It is on the Bijagós that the vast majority of the nesting activity takes place. Even in this archipelago, sea turtle nesting is concentrated in a few localised hotspots. Poilão, as explained above, is by far the most important site, with maybe more than 90% of all green turtles and probably an important part of hawksbill females coming to reproduce in this small, remote island (FIG??). Other islands of this group, including João Vieira, Cavalos, Meio and Cabras also have good numbers of green turtles and occasionally other species. The other main known hotspot is on the beaches of the Orango National Park with a several hundred nests per year of at least 4 different species (Barbosa 1997, Barbosa et al. 1998). Finally, the islands of Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho are important as the only known nesting sites for the loggerhead turtle. PRECISAMOS AQUI DE UMA FIGURA COM UM MAPA QUE MOSTRE O ARQUIPÉLAGO DOS BIJAGÓS E OS PRINCIPAIS GRUPOS DE ILHAS

Turtle tracks on the island of Poilão

Main Threats to Marine Turtles Many factors pose a threat to the survival of sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau and across world oceans. Below we list the most relevant ones and assess their importance for turtles occurring in the national waters of Guinea-Bissau. Harvest of eggs and laying females Historically, harvesting at the nesting beaches has represented the most important threat for sea turtles worldwide and probably remains so at a number of locations. On most occasions, such harvesting is done for the consumption of meat and eggs, although in some countries and for some species (particularly for hawksbill turtles), the main product of interest is the shell (the tortoiseshell) which is used for manufacturing a diversity of jewellery items. In the Bijagós, turtles are also sometimes killed for ceremonial purposes, linked to traditional beliefs and religious practices. Sometimes turtles are also consumed in the belief that they have medicinal properties, but this is not frequent in Guinea-Bissau. In Guinea-Bissau, harvesting of eggs and laying females occurs virtually everywhere and it is likely that a sizeable proportion of the females attempting to nest each year are captured and killed. Given the relative scarcity of access to animal protein and the very weak enforcement of protection laws, it is likely that very few laying females or freshly laid nests that are fond by the local population are left undisturbed. In the year of 2007, for example, at least 339 green turtle shells were found in villages in the southern part of the Orango National Park. In most cases, these turtles had been recently consumed. Although we do not have a very precise idea of the numbers of green turtles laying on this park, it seems likely that a very high proportion of the females that came ashore were killed, given that the annual number of green turtle nests in Orango has been estimated at a few hundred (Barbosa et al. 1998). The level of harvesting elsewhere in the country is almost certainly not lower than this, which represents a very bleak picture. There is one notable exception, which is the island of Poilão, a remote site which is regarded as sacred by the traditional beliefs of the Bijagós people. The island is uninhabited and seldom visited. Furthermore, in recent years it has benefited from the presence of park guards and researchers. Here, laying females and their eggs generally are left alone. Eggs and turtles harvested on the nesting beaches usually are consumed by the local populations and, unlike the situation elsewhere in West Africa, turtle meat, eggs or shells are seldom found for sale in local markets. Hence, there is a limited scope to act at the trade level. As far as we could find, there are few traditional regulatory systems of the turtle harvest, with the exception of the leatherback turtle, which is relatively protected by some taboos. Importance: Very high Capture by small-scale coastal fisheries Sea turtles are regularly captured in monofilament nets set in coastal waters to catch predatory fish, such as sharks, rays, barracuda, jacks, snappers, etc. In Guinea-Bissau, such fishing is mostly carried out by foreign fisherman (from Senegal, Guinea-Conakri, Sierra Leone, etc.), but also by nationals, often in association with foreigners. Turtles may drown in the nets or, if caught alive, they are generally killed and consumed or injured before being thrown away. We have no quantitative data on the level of this type of mortality, but it is almost certainly very high, as informal

contacts with fisherman indicate that turtles are frequently captured and that one large fishing canoe can, at certain times and locations, capture several turtles per day. According to the villagers of settlements near important nesting beaches in the Orango National Park, in the past couple of decades the capture (by foreign fisherman) of very numerous turtles was witnessed and, as a result, nesting turtles (particularly olive ridleys and maybe hawksbills), which were previously abundant, became very scarce in the area. Green turtles, being less often captured in nets, were less affected and their populations did not decline so much, despite important harvest on the nesting beaches.

Unlike beach harvesting, captures in fishing nets involve not only adult females but also males and immature animals. Locally (at least on the islands of Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho, in the Bijagós), fisherman use nets and a recently-developed technique in a fishery directed to young green turtles. Fortunately, this practice still seems to be rare or non-existent elsewhere, at it could have a very large impact on the populations. Importance: Very high Capture by the industrial fishing fleet Industrial fisheries, including trawlers and long-liners, are threatening sea turtles all over the world, possibly being the single most important factor of decline of some species and populations. Off Guinea-Bissau, many trawlers operate, coming from countries as diverse as China, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. There are no impositions from the national government to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs) and many fishing vessels operate illegally anyway. Very little is known on the impact of the industrial fishing fleet in Guinea-Bissau waters. An early study (R Shutton, unpublished) suggested that between 500 and 1000 turtles could be caught per year (Limoges & Robillard 1991), but there is no information on the methods used or on the reliability of this estimate. A latter (superficial) assessment indicated that the annual catch might be of the order of 300 turtles, of which many could be released alive (Broderick & Catry 1998). Importance: Little known, potentially high. Pollution and Disease Sea turtles can potentially be affected by diverse types of pollution. Oil pollution is known to be a problem. Floating tar balls, for example, are often ingested by young turtles in their pelagic stage, which end up poisoned or dying from having their digestive system blocked by these pollutants. Oil can also be ingested and can cover the whole animal if it gets in contact with an oil spill. Nesting beaches can also be affected. In Guinea-Bissau there are plans for oil extraction in the near future and great care needs to be taken so that only best practices are allowed, to reduce the potential for accidents. Pollution by plastic bags, netting and a wide array of other materials affects sea turtles which ingest such things by mistake or become accidentally entangled. The level of mortality from those causes is unknown, but is possibly not negligible.

Fibropapilloma is a disease that affects mostly green turtles and has been expanding and increasing its prevalence in the most recent decades. Affected turtles develop external and internal tumours that eventually lead to their demise. In some populations, a very large proportion of the adult turtles can be affected and there are fears that this could have a measurable and maybe severe impact on population dynamics. The recent increase in the disease and other evidence suggest that it is

mostly turtles that live and forage in polluted waters that are affected. Fortunately, marine pollution is not, at the moment, a major problem in Guinea-Bissau or in neighbouring countries where the turtles migrate to, particularly Mauritania (see below). Green turtles apparently dying from fibropapilloma have been reported in Guinea-Bissau, but the prevalence of the disease seems to be very low. For example, out of several hundred adult female green turtles inspected while laying at Poilão in 2007, not a single one showed signs of well developed external tumours. Importance pollution: probably low, but may increase in the future. Importance fibropapilloma: Currently low, but may increase in the future. Disturbance at the nesting beaches In some parts of the world, disturbance at the nesting beaches and artificial illumination can provoke disorientation and death of young hatchlings and even, on occasion, of adult turtles. We have not identified any situation where artificial lights or beach disturbance by humans or vehicles might pose a problem to sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau. Importance: negligible. Nest predation by domestic or introduced animals Predation of nests and hatchlings by dogs, pigs or even by natural predators occurring in artificially high numbers due to the disruption of natural equilibrium by human activities, constitutes, in some times and places, a serious threat to nesting populations. In Guinea-Bissau there is little evidence for such problems and most predation is probably caused by humans. Natural predators, such as ghost crabs or monitor lizards, do not seem to pose a problem. There are some islands, such as Cavalos, João Vieira or Imbone, with relatively important nesting grounds, where pigs roam freely and are potential predators; their impact should be evaluated but, in any case, only a small proportion of the national turtle population is at risk. Importance: low to medium. Climate change One of the most fascinating aspects of sea turtle biology is the fact that the sex of each turtle is determined by the temperature at which the egg was incubated; higher temperatures produce more females. Climate change will affect even if only indirectly, most species on earth. Sea turtles will be directly affected via a change in the hatchling sex ratios (e.g. Hays et al. 2003b, Hawkes et al. 2007). To what extent this will impact on sea turtle populations is uncertain, as is uncertain the level of future climate warming. However, the potential for impact is there, is large and needs to be better assessed if counter measures (such as egg shading or others) are to be planned and implemented successfully. Climate change may also result in a raise of sea level, increased storminess and, hence, coastal erosion. Turtle nesting beaches may suffer. However, it is likely that new beaches will also be formed, compensating at least part of the losses. Importance: currently low, but probably high in the future.

Past and Present Conservation Efforts Research and Monitoring Twenty years ago, apart from a couple of old records of specimens obtained for scientific collections, nothing was known on the marine turtles of Guinea-Bissau. In 1989, an initial survey of the Bijagós archipelago was carried out. This survey was part of a broader effort of inventory of the national biodiversity and of areas of exceptional conservation value of this country. Such effort, carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from the IUCN and the Swiss and Canadian cooperation, resulted in baseline information that was used for the proposition of a network of protected areas (which were, at the time, inexistent). During the initial survey (Limoges & Robillard 1991), Poilão was discovered as an important nesting site for marine turtles, but only a couple of days were spent there at that time. The beaches of the Orango group were also identified as potentially important. Latter, in the early to mid-nineties, further surveys took place on the Orango Group and also in Poilão and neighbouring islands. Despite some technical problems and limited resources, which prevented a rigorous estimation of the numbers involved, those surveys confirmed the presence of several nesting species and the importance of the Orango and João-Vieira / Poilão groups (e.g. Barbosa 1997, Barbosa et al. 1998, Fortes et al. 1998). Many turtles were tagged and some tag recoveries hinted at the importance of foraging grounds in neighbouring countries, particularly Mauritania. In 2000, a more complete study of the population and nesting biology of green turtles in Poilão first confirmed its international importance (Catry et al. 2002; Fig 1). Further detailed work was conducted in 2007. In recent years, missions were also carried out by IUCN, GPC, INEP and other partners, with the aim of locating other important nesting grounds and documenting threats and interactions of turtles and humans. In 2001, 12 transmitters were implanted in female green turtles that had finished laying in Poilão and their migration was monitored through satellite tracking (Godley et al. 2003). Fig. 1. Seasonal variation in the number of clutches laid in Poilão in the year 2000.

0

50

100

150

200

250

19-0

7-2

001

02-0

8-2

001

16-0

8-2

001

30-0

8-2

001

13-0

9-2

001

27-0

9-2

001

11-1

0-2

001

25-1

0-2

001

08-1

1-2

001

22-1

1-2

001

06-1

2-2

001

Nests

per

nig

ht

Low intensity monitoring has also taken place over the past two decades in the Orango and the João Vieira / Poilão group. However, some of those activities yielded relatively inconclusive results, in part due to insufficient funding and

insufficient scientific technical assistance. Creation of Protected Areas Of the five existing protected areas in Guinea-Bissau, two are especially important for sea turtles. Marine turtles were one of the main supporting arguments for the creation (in the year 2000) of the first marine protected area of Guinea-Bissau: the João Vieira / Poilão Marine National Park. The park includes the island of Poilão. The celebration of the creation of the park was held in March 2001 in collaboration with the WWF Living Planet Campaign and the park now constitutes a “Gift to the Earth”. Sea turtles were also important when identifying the Orango group as a priority area for biodiversity conservation and the Orango National Park, created in 1997, includes important nesting beaches as well as shallow marine areas with foraging and mating grounds. Surveillance of Nesting Beaches and Inshore Waters The creation of the João Vieira / Poilão Marine Park and the campaigns for the study and protection of turtles in Poilão gave this small and most important island better protection. Foreign fisherman no longer camp on the island and the turtles are seldom disturbed or harvested. However, elsewhere from Poilão, vigilance and enforcement of park regulations and national legislation have proved dramatically insufficient. Important progress was achieved when temporary and semi-permanent fisherman settlements were removed from the areas of the PNO, but this was not followed by an effective surveillance of the marine part of the park or of the nesting beaches from where local communities harvests numerous turtles and eggs.

Integration with Regional Efforts and Initiatives The conservation of marine turtles is conditioned by the long migrations of these species across international boundaries. Whilst one country may be protecting one population, another may be harvesting it. Only with regional collaboration and co-operation of different nations can the conservation of these endangered species be assured. In the case of the green turtles nesting in the Bijagós, conventional and satellite tagging have revealed strong links with neighbouring countries. In particular, it is now clear that the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) is an important foraging ground for green turtles from Poilão (see Fig 2).

Fig. 2. The migratory routes and foraging areas of green turtles from Poilão. Drawn from data from satellite tracking (see Godley et al. 2003) and from tag recoveries. The strong link with Parc National du Banc d’Arguin prompted FIBA to increase its support to turtle conservation actions in Guinea-Bissau.

The results from the migration studies reinforced the awareness of the need for international cooperation and resulted in a particularly fruitful collaboration with FIBA (Fondation Internationale du Banc d’Arguin) who has supported important conservation actions in the Bijagós. A workshop held in Dakar in June 2002, with the support of FIBA/IUCN/WWF, brought together specialists and other stakeholders from the West African eco-region, including Mauritania, Senegal, Cape-Vert, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry. A Regional Action Plan for the Marine Turtles in West Africa was drafted, with a strong input from Guinea-Bissau specialists. Since then, there has been an increase in regional contacts and cooperation for the conservation of marine turtles.

The Action Plan - Aims and Objectives

The Vision We aim at the long-term conservation of all species of marine turtles occurring in Guinea-Bissau, to the benefit of local people, and to the benefit of the wider community (national and international) through the preservation of this common heritage. Central to this idea is the use of marine turtles as important resources for the promotion of eco-tourism, as flagship species to environmental education and fund-raising for biodiversity conservation, and as biological indicators for the marine environment.

Main objectives To progress towards this vision, and taking into account past achievements, we believe that the most urgent needs are: To maintain high levels of surveillance at Poilão, ensuring zero-harvest at this

site. To reduce the levels of harvest of females and eggs in the Orango National Park

and in the Unhocomo group through more effective enforcement and by promoting compensatory development initiatives for the local population.

To create partnerships for better surveillance of important mating and foraging grounds.

To evaluate the present impact of industrial fisheries on sea turtles and lobby for the implementation of turtle-friendly technologies and practices.

To improve our scientific knowledge on the status, trends and threats to sea turtles and better disseminate the available information.

To implement an environmental education campaign targeting multiple society levels.

To develop a sustainable tourist use of marine turtles. To development of a regional strategy of conservation that takes into account the

migrations of sea turtles between West African countries.

The Strategic Guidelines / Projects The present action plan has been organised into 6 strategic axes or projects. These are inter-related in several ways, but can be taken in isolation and implemented with well-defined net benefits. The projects address almost all the issues related to active conservation, applied research and turtle utilisation raised in the introductory sections. However, great care was put into proposing actions that were thought to be priority. For example, surveillance and active protection of nesting beaches was only suggested where and when we felt that the benefits would better justify the investment. Also, no active management was suggested where it was felt that the data at our disposal was not enough to make an informed decision about the actions to be taken (for example, we did not suggest the active control of predators because predation levels and efforts versus potential benefits have not yet been properly assessed in any nesting area in Guinea-Bissau). All proposed management and environmental education actions, if implemented, are highly likely to reduce mortality of turtles in at least one stage of their life cycle. This will be beneficial because there is strong evidence that the populations are decreasing. Also, all proposed research is of a uniquely applied

nature. In every case, once the investigations are concluded (at latest by the end of the relevant projects) it will be possible to propose concrete conservation actions. However, conservation of marine turtles is a long-term project, and we suggest monitoring techniques that will allow long-term assessment of population trends by future researchers and managers, well beyond the conclusion of the proposed projects. IBAP, the national Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Areas will undoubtedly use this action plan as a guide when preparing its regular annual activity plans. Furthermore, it is hoped that this document can be used for fund-raising, and that is the reason for presenting tentative budgets associated with some projects. Of course that, if a donor expresses its interest, further refinement of the projects to be financed will be necessary.

The 6 projects The 6 projects, which are detailed further along the document, are:

1. Protection and monitoring of the most important nesting beaches in the Bijagós archipelago (PNO, PNMJVP, Unhocomo, Unhocomozinho).

2. Creating and implementing partnerships for the surveillance and protection of

inshore mating and foraging grounds.

3. Assessment and reduction of turtle mortality due to industrial fisheries in Guinea-Bissau waters.

4. Research on sea turtle ecology, distribution and interactions with people in

Guinea-Bissau, and dissemination of results.

5. Implementation of an environmental education campaign targeting multiple society levels and stakeholders to raise the profile of sea-turtles and enhance other conservation measures.

6. Development of a sustainable tourist use of the marine turtle resource.

Integration with the regional action plan for marine turtles The national action plan presented below takes into account the Regional Action Plan for the Marine Turtles in West Africa, prepared with the support of FIBA/IUCN/WWF (Laurent et al. 2003). Although a different format was used here, Regional Action Plan recommendations are followed, adapting them to the national context and keeping a broader geographical perspective when this is particularly justified. The regional action plan aims at the improvement of the conservation status of marine turtles in West Africa. For this, it identifies 4 main objectives (from Laurent et al. 2003):

1. Reduce human-induced mortality of marine turtles in West Africa.

2. Preserve sites of major importance for marine turtles in West Africa

3. Improve the knowledge on marine turtles in West Africa

4. Reinforce regional collaboration in West Africa The present action plan for Guinea-Bissau meets all those four main objectives and goes a little beyond. Projects 1, 2 and 3 work directly towards Objective 1. Projects 1 and 2 meet an essential part of the needs for Objective 2. Projects 3, 4 and 5 are linked with Objective 3. Finally projects 2 and 3 demand for international collaboration in the region (Objective 4) and beyond.

Potential Project Collaborators These projects address a large number of issues and involve the potential participation of many governmental and non-governmental organisations that will work as partners. Some projects will involve more than others. The most important are listed below:

ACAP – Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.

AD – Acção para o Desenvolvimento (national NGO)

AFAIOG -Associação de Filhos e Amigos de Orango Grande (national NGO)

CAIA – Célula para a Avaliação de Impactos Ambientais (environmental impact

assessment unit)

CBD – Convenção sobre a Diversidade Biológica

CIPA – Centro de Investigação Pesqueira Aplicada (Applied Fisheries Research

Centre)

CMS – Convention for Migratory Species

Eco-Ethology Research Unit – ISPA – Lisbon

FBGB – Fundação para a Biodiversidade da Guiné-Bissau

FIBA – Fondation Internationale du Banc d’Arguin

FIAL – Fundo de Iniciativas Ambientais Locais (fund for community based

environmental projects)

FISCAP - Centro de Fiscalização das Actividades da Pesca (national fisheries patrol

force)

GEF – Global Environment Facility

GPC – Gabinete de Planificação Costeira (Coastal Planning Bureau)

IBAP – Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas (Institute for Biodiversity

and Protected Areas)

INEP – Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas (National Institute for Study and

Research)

London Zoological Society

Marine Turtle Research Group of the University of Exeter

Nantynian (regional NGO)

NGO – Non Governmental Organization

Palmeirinha (National NGO specializing on Environmental Education)

PGBZCGB - Projecto de Gestão da Biodiversidade na Zona Costeira da Guiné-

Bissau

PNMJVP – Parque Nacional Marinho de João Vieira / Poilão (João Vieira / Poilão

Marine National Park)

PNO – Parque Nacional do Grupo de Ilhas de Orango (Orango National Park)

PNTC – Parque Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu (Natural Park of the Mangroves

of the Cacheu River)

PRCM – Programme Régional de Conservation de la Zone Côtière et Marine

(Regional Program for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Area).

Private sector (Tourist Operators in the Bijagós Archipelago)

RBBB – Reserva da Biosfera de Bolama – Bijagós (Bolama-Bijagós Biosphere

Reserve)

SET – Secretaria de Estado do Turismo

Tiniguena (national NGO)

Tantakan (regional NGO)

IUCN – União Mundial para a Natureza

WWF – Fundo Mundial para a Natureza

The projects

1. Protection and monitoring of the most important nesting beaches in the Bijagós archipelago (PNO, PNMJVP, Unhocomo, Unhocomozinho)

Introduction and Justification The present day knowledge on the status and nesting distribution of marine turtles in Guinea-Bissau suggests that the vast majority of the individuals reproducing in this country do so on a few relatively remote islands of the Bijagós Archipelago. In particular, the island of Poilão hosts one of the most important colonies of green turtles in the world and is one of the most remarkable biodiversity assets of Guinea-Bissau. In the year of 2,000, an estimated 2,500 female green turtles laid approximately 7,400 clutches at this site alone (Catry et al. 2002). In 2007 a second comprehensive survey was organised and preliminary results suggest that even larger numbers of turtles and nests were present on Poilão. The preservation of green turtles in Guinea-Bissau (and possibly neighbouring countries) is probably dependent on the viability of this single colony. Poilão may also be one of the most important sites in Guinea-Bissau for the hawksbill turtle, even though numbers present are very small compared to green turtles. Other islands of the João Vieira – Poilão Marine National Park (PNMJVP) are much less important, but they hold turtle numbers that are relevant from a national point of view. Nesting on these islands is easier to monitor than in Poilão, where the density is high to the point of making it very difficult to count tracks and nests on the beach. After the João Vieira / Poilão group of islands, the Orango National Park (PNO) is the most important known nesting area for marine turtles in Guinea-Bissau. The green turtle probably is the most abundant species here too, but the number is relatively small compared Poilão. For olive ridley turtles, Orango is the most important breeding area in the country (possibly with a few hundred nests per year) and a reduced number of leatherback and hawksbill turtles also nest in this area (Castro et al. 1998). The waters around Orango, classified as a Marine Protected Area, are also likely to be important foraging and mating grounds for marine turtles.

The third important area for marine turtles in the Bijagós is located in the Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho islands and surrounding waters (e.g. Indjai 2003). Here are located the only known nesting grounds of loggerhead turtles, and several other species are also present, albeit in small numbers. Furthermore, feeding grounds for juvenile green turtles have been located in this area (Indjai 2003). Although placed within the Biosphere Reserve of the Bolama-Bijagós region, these two islands do not enjoy any formal or effective conservation status. The concentration of most of the national reproduction of marine turtles on a few nesting beaches (and particularly at Poilão) presents advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, turtles are potentially more sensitive to a few localised negative factors that may arise. On the other, a concentration of resources in a few well defined areas makes monitoring and protection an easier task. In this, Poilão has been and will have to remain the focus of a special and particular attention, given its importance and potential fragility. Knowing that up to 200 females can nest on Poilão on a single night, it is easy to realise that if, for example, someone decided to come and collect turtles to commercialise their meat (and Poilão is not that far from the coast of Guinea-Conakry or Sierra Leone, where turtle meat would easily find a market), a huge damage could be inflicted in very little time. Poilão is so remote that such activities could go unnoticed by the PNMJVP staff for quite a while. Although park guards reach Poilão every now and then during the course of

surveillance missions, a more intensive protection is needed, at least during the main green turtle nesting season. Regular park activities and resources are not enough to achieve this, hence the need for a specific project. On the Orango National Park, the area of potential nesting habitat is large, and turtle density is low in most places and times of the year. This makes the implementation of cost-effective study and protection programmes relatively difficult, except for low intensity surveillance and monitoring. More detailed studies should not be considered priority at the national level. Recent observations, however, suggest that many female turtles are captured and eggs harvested by the local villagers in the PNO. Clearly there is a need for reinforcement in surveillance and public education. The PNO has got resources (human resources, transport, etc.) that should be used in the long-term monitoring and protection of sea turtles in the nesting beaches. Low input monitoring of hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) populations on the beaches could be done simultaneously, at no extra cost. Marine turtles and hippos constitute some of the most important and interesting animal populations (from a conservation and eco-tourism point of view) in the Orango National Park. Besides monitoring of population tendencies, this survey would result in a precise identification of temporal and spatial concentrations of animals and nesting activities, allowing the development of plans for further research and conservation actions. On the beaches where turtles nest relatively close to human populations, it is essential to involve local communities in the conservation of turtles. This can be achieved by contracting locals for surveillance and monitoring activities and also by promoting sustainable development initiatives in exchange for a negotiated moratorium on sea turtle harvest.

Objectives 1. To prevent or reduce sea turtle mortality (adults, eggs and hatchlings) on the

most important nesting beaches of Guinea-Bissau. 2. To more accurately quantify the magnitude of marine turtle nesting on the Orango

National Park, Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho and to provide baseline data that will allow the identification of population trends in the future.

3. To involve local communities in the protection of sea turtles and develop compensatory sustainable development projects with those communities.

4. To monitor population changes and relate those to management practices. 5. To quantify the incidence of potential threats, such as people harvesting turtles or

eggs on the nesting beaches, or the presence of fishing boats on the mating grounds in front of those beaches.

6. As a subsidiary objective, the systematic patrolling of the beaches of the Orango National Park will allow the establishment of a monitoring scheme for hippopotamuses Hippopotamus amphibius with marine habitats, which represent one of the main biodiversity values of the park.

Project outline / Methods As explained in the introduction, it is essential to ensure a frequent presence of Park Guards and researchers on Poilão, to prevent the possibility of captures of adult females on the nesting beaches. Such presence should be nearly-continuous from mid-July to mid-November. Regular visits are also important in December and June. Occasional visits should also take place at other times of the year at to other uninhabited islands of the Park (Meio, Cabras, Cavalos). For this to be possible, there is a need of improvement of logistical conditions. In particular, an excellent

radio facility must be put into place, allowing easy communications with João Vieira and Bubaque. As there is no safe harbour in Poilão, boat links must be based in João Vieira, with a permanent presence of a boat and enough fuel at the Park headquarters. Small teams (2-3 persons) present on Poilão will make daily counts of turtle tracks and night-time counts of turtles ashore. They will also survey the marine area surrounding the island and will carefully look for any signs of unauthorised visits to Poilão in the periods of absence of park guards. Periods of permanence on Poilão should be variable, unpredictable and undisclosed to fisherman (namely in Bubaque), to avoid that poachers could work based on such knowledge. On the Orango National Park, park guards and collaborators (to be recruited amongst the local population and trained by park staff and national turtle biologists) will survey nesting beaches on a weekly basis (and at more frequent intervals during peak nesting seasons, particularly in August and February). Standard monitoring techniques will be applied, namely the counting and recording of fresh and old tracks and nest signs, as well as signs of nest predation. Surveyors will conceal nest sites by erasing all turtle marks left in the sand. Park guards and hired collaborators will also liaise with local populations, making them more aware of the conservation status of turtles and of the efforts to study and protect them. Regular visits to the nearest villages to the nesting beaches will also be important to detect turtle products resulting from the illegal harvest of laying females and eggs. On the islands of Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho, collaborators will be selected amongst the local population and trained in basic turtle monitoring. Particular attention will be given to the confirmation and monitoring of the presence of loggerhead turtles in these nesting beaches. To engage the local population, it will be necessary to work with one of the Bijagós NGOs and identify and implement a sustainable development project (using funds from FIAL – the national fund for grassroots sustainable development projects) that is formally linked to the efforts made by the population to protect turtles on their nesting beaches (and also on the foraging grounds, as on these islands the rare practice as developed of catching immature green turtles using fishing nets on inshore foraging grounds). Visits of collaborators from Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho to Protected Areas with active sea-turtle conservation activities will be organised for training and exchange of experiences.

Co-ordination and execution Work will be co-ordinated by IBAP and, in particular, by the director of the PNMJVP, who is also the most experienced sea-turtle biologist in the country. Staff from the PNMJVP, from the PNO, with the support of the Casa do Ambiente da RBBB and the Headquarters in Bissau, will carry out most of the work in the terrain. Other national institutions with an interest and tradition in sea turtle research, such as INEP and CIPA will be involved. In the Bijagós, regional NGOs, such as Nantiniyan, AFAIOG, ADIM or Totokan, will be involved with the work in the PNO and the Unhocomo group of islands. Collaborators will be recruited in local communities, which will be important partners of the project.

Results/Outputs - No harvesting of sea turtles or sea turtle eggs in the João Vieira / Poilão Marine

National Park will take place during the implementation of this project. - Harvest of laying female turtles and of turtle eggs in the Orango National Park

and in the Unhocomo group is severely reduced. - Collaborators for beach surveys are trained in the PNO and the Unhocomo

group. - Scientific reports will be published in international journals concerning the size

and spatial and temporal distribution of the nesting turtle populations in Poilão, in the PNO and in Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho. A report on the baseline data for long-term monitoring will be produced.

Estimated Budget

Activity Cost (per year)

Monitoring and vigilance in the PNMJVP 10.000 €

Monitoring and vigilance in the PNO, with involvement of local communities and regional NGOs

10.000 €

Monitoring and vigilance in Unhocomo and Unhocomozinho, with involvement of local communities

3.500 €

2. Creating and implementing partnerships for the surveillance and protection of inshore mating and foraging grounds

Introduction and Justification In Guinea-Bissau, as well as elsewhere in the region and around the world, sea-turtles suffer an important mortality caused by coastal fisheries operating from small boats (e.g. PNUE/CMS 2000, Lutcavage et al. 1997). Among the residents of the Orango National Park, for example, such heavy mortality, as it took place in the past 2-3 decades, is seen as the main driving force for turtle population declines. Particularly sensitive areas include the waters immediately adjacent to the nesting beaches (where large numbers of turtles can be found, engaged in mating activities, amongst others), as well as relatively shallow parts of the ocean with rich feeding resources, such as underwater pastures used by green turtles. Many of those sectors of the sea in Guinea-Bissau have now been incorporated into marine protected areas (MPA). The management plans of those MPA define zones with important restrictions to fishing activities, including no-fishing zones. Unfortunately, the present levels of surveillance of those fishing reserves are insufficient to ensure their integrity and the protection of the turtles while at sea. Enforcement is below the needed levels, particularly in the areas facing the most important nesting beaches. One of the present-day difficulties relates to the fact that Park guards are unarmed, while fisherman (mostly coming from Senegal and other countries in the region) work from large pirogues (18-21 m) with numerous crew and are often armed and potentially aggressive. Park guards are currently positively scared about challenging some of those fishing parties. The solution to these difficulties lies in the involvement of other authorities (such as police, military personnel, fisheries control personnel) in the surveillance patrols.

Objectives 1- To create solid partnerships with other state institutions for the effective

surveillance of fisheries reserves. 2- To implement a surveillance program targeting sites and times of the year where

and when sea-turtles are particularly vulnerable to coastal fisheries, reducing their mortality in fishing gear to insignificant levels within the MPAs.

Project Outline / Methods With this project, it is proposed that a specific surveillance program is developed and implemented targeting the areas (namely around Poilão [PNMJVP]), Adonga, Uíte, Ancopado and Añor [PNO]) and times of the year that are most critical for sea turtles. Such surveillance initiatives will go beyond the regular minimum surveillance levels of the MPAs concerned. Funding is required for fuel, perdiems and to organise training courses on fisheries reserves and marine turtle conservation issues for the benefit of personnel from authorities (other than IBAP) involved in the patrols. Furthermore, funding will be used to disseminate information on the fisheries reserves. Finally, interchange visits will be organised for park staff between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. Guineans will go and see effective surveillance at work in the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, benefiting from the long experience in these activities by the Mauritanian park authorities. Mauritanians will come and get to know the nesting beaches of the turtles they work to protect while feeding on their national waters.

Co-ordination and execution

The project will be co-ordinated by IBAP. Partners include the national authority for the surveillance of fisheries in inshore marine waters, Fiscap, as well as regional authorities (Governors of Regions and Sectors), police and the military. International partners include the PRCM and the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin.

Time frame This project should be implemented during a period of 3 years.

Results/Outputs

Solid partnerships for the surveillance of fishing reserves are established.

Non-IBAP personnel receives specific training related to fishing reserves and sea-turtle conservation.

A surveillance program is implemented, resulting in the almost complete cessation of forbidden fishing activities in areas critical for marine turtle species.

Exchange visits between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania are organised.

Estimated Budget

Activity Cost (per year)

Vigilance in the PNMJVP fishing reserves 15.000 €

Vigilance in the PNO fishing reserves 20.000 €

Interchange visits 8.000 €

3. Assessment and reduction of turtle mortality due to industrial fisheries in Guinea-Bissau waters

Introduction and Justification One of the greatest threats to marine turtles worldwide results from fisheries activities (e.g. Lutcavage et al. 1997, Hays et al. 2003a). Fisheries, including industrial fisheries, cause high levels of adult and immature mortality that, in many cases, are unsustainable for the affected populations (National Research Council 1990, Spotila 2004). Mortality by drowning is very high in trawling nets, including shrimp trawlers such as the ones that operate in the costal waters of Guinea Bissau. In 1978 the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Sea Grant Program developed a trawl device (Turtle Excluder Device TED) that allows turtles and other large bycatch to be released through an escape hatch in the trawl net. These are now a legal requirement in all shrimp trawlers operating in U.S and Mexican waters in which sea turtles occur. It is estimated that in South Carolina the use of TEDs has reduced sea turtle strandings by 44% (Crowder et al. 1995). In addition to this direct benefit to marine turtles, other finfish bycatch is drastically reduced, as is damage to fishing nets due to such captures. In Guinea-Bissau the fishing industry is of major economic importance. The waters of the Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) are highly productive. In recent years, hundreds of permits were issued for industrial fishing fleets, mostly for trawls (data provided by the Ministry of Fisheries, Bissau). These vessels are not permitted to operate within the Biosphere Reserve of the Bijagós Archipelago. Discussions with fisheries observers reveal that trawlers operating in the waters of Guinea-Bissau do catch marine turtles. From these interviews it is estimated that in the region of 300 turtles are caught in trawling vessels each year in Guinean waters (Broderick & Catry 1998). Of these, approximately 90% were released alive. However these calculations are based upon small sample sizes and should be further quantified. In a report by Limoges & Robillard (1991) it was suggested that between 500-1000 marine turtles are caught by fishing vessels each year in Guinea-Bissau. This information is quoted as a personal communication from R. Shutton, a previous employee of the Fisheries Department. The source of his estimate has not been identified. It is clear that an updated and more reliable estimate of the current impact of industrial fisheries in the coastal waters of Guinea-Bissau is needed. Such data are needed to lobby at the national and international levels for better practices in the fisheries on the coast of Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere in West Africa, including the adoption of TEDs. An international campaign also needs to be organised, so that West African governments impose stricter rules for licensed fishing vessels. However, given the weak capacities for enforcement in some African countries and in Guinea-Bissau in particular, efforts must also target the countries of origin of the fishing fleets. In particular, a large percentage of the fishing vessels operating in Guinea-Bissau come from the European Union, where legal measures could be imposed and education campaigns should target the owners and operators of long-distance fishing vessels. It is also important to train fisheries observers in techniques for re-animation of partly drowned sea turtles accidentally caught in nets, as many individual turtles can be saved if properly handled aboard the fishing vessels.

Objectives

1. Quantify the annual bycatch of turtles, and associated mortality for each marine turtle species, by the industrial fishing fleet.

2. Ensure that marine turtles caught accidentally are assisted and released when captured alive.

3. Change the national legislation and the fisheries agreements with other nations so that the use of turtle excluder devices becomes compulsory on any trawlers working in the waters under national Guinea-Bissau jurisdiction.

4. Educate foreign fisherman and owners of fishing vessels that operate in Africa on the importance to adopt procedures that minimise fisheries bycatch.

5. Promote the compulsory use of turtle friendly fishing techniques and fishing gear at the European Union level, specifically targeting fishing operations working in the tropics.

Project Outline / Methods Objective 1. A protocol involving IBAP, FISCAP and either GPC / CIPA or INEP will be established. All licensed ships of the international fleet have observers aboard. Observers will be trained for sea turtle surveys. Questionnaires and instructions for procedure during surveying actions will be distributed to observers working aboard fishing vessels of the international industrial fleet. The observers will record basic biological data (e.g. species, body size) on all turtles captured during surveys. This will allow an estimate of the importance of the bycatch in Guinean waters. Objective 2. Observers, fisheries officers and fishermen will be made aware of the fact that turtles are protected species by Guinean law, and that it is required that they are released if accidentally captured. Objective 3. Guinean authorities will be informed of the existence of Turtle Excluder Devices and their use recommended. If data showing that there is a significant turtle mortality associated with industrial trawlers is gathered, lobbying at the national government level for a change in national legislation and in fisheries agreements will take place. Objectives 4 & 5. The ultimate adoption of fishing gear and techniques that minimise bycatch by fishing vessels operating in Africa is an ambitious and important target that is beyond the reach of this national action plan, at least in the short-term. In any case, this project will work to set the foundations of an international partnership, involving national NGOs in Africa and Europe as well as international NGOs and coalitions (such as PRCM, ACAP or BirdLife International) with an experience of intervention in this field (in particular, there is a strong international movement to reduce the bycatch of seabirds and other threatened animals that can potentially join this partnership). Such coalition will lobby and educate, on the basis on scientific evidence, for the adoption of turtle excluder devices and other nature friendly fishing practices, targeting national governments, the European Union and fishing companies. Within this project, a conservation officer will be contracted (part-time) to work towards these objectives during a period of 2 years.

Co-ordination and execution The assessment of the impact of industrial fisheries in Guinea-Bissau (including questionnaires, training of fisheries observers and data analyses) will be carried out by biologists from GPC, INEP or CIPA, under the supervision of IBAP. Observers of the industrial fisheries national agency (FISCAP - Centro de Fiscalização das Actividades da Pesca) will collect field data. National and international lobbying will be done by the president of IBAP, with the strong support of an international consultant who will work towards the set-up of an international partnership for the adoption of turtle-friendly fishing operations in

West Africa and elsewhere.

Time frame Data will be collected during one year, immediately after the start of the project. In the second year, results will be rapidly analysed and the campaign for the introduction of marine turtle excluder devices initiated. A consultant will work for two years setting up the foundations of a strong international coalition.

Results/Outputs - Fisheries observers are trained for biological surveys and turtle reanimation

during a course taking place in Bissau. - Publication of a report/paper and a leaflet on the impact of fisheries on marine

turtles in Guinea-Bissau. - Turtles accidentally captured that are still alive are assisted and released aboard

all trawlers operating on Guinea-Bissau waters. - Information provided to National and International conservation organisations for

lobbying at the National and International level. - An international meeting is organised and a partnership built to work towards the

international adoption of TEDs and other relevant fishing - A large international project is prepared and submitted for funding, with the main

of educating international fishing fleets (owners, fisherman) and lobbying at the governmental and European Union level.

Estimated Budget

Activity Cost (per year)

Assessment of present levels of bycatch and national lobbying 30.000 €

International coordination, lobbying and education 40.000 €

4. Research on sea turtle ecology, distribution and interactions with people in Guinea-Bissau, and dissemination of results

Introduction and Justification We love what we know, and this is, maybe, the first justification for research on endangered species. Only through the gathering and dissemination of knowledge on sea turtles can we get motivation for involvement from many sectors of the society and international partners, in the fight for the conservation of sea turtles and their environment. Knowledge on the status, ecology, conservation biology and human utilization of sea turtles in Guinea-Bissau is still very incomplete. Even more important, the dissemination of the results gathered so far is incipient. We lack good and accessible summaries of the available information on Guinea-Bissau sea turtles that can be consulted and used for environmental campaigns, education or as a basis for informed policy making. Much information is “lost” or “hidden” in internal unpublished reports and faces the threat of falling into oblivion.

This strategic axis does not include monitoring of sea turtle populations, as this is covered under Project 1, nor does it include the evaluation of the impact of industrial fisheries, covered under Project 3. Besides these two priority areas, we need to gather knowledge on the status of sea turtles in some little known areas, such as Pecixe and Jeta, on the coast north of Bissau, or in Ilha de Melo, in the south of the country. We also need information on the levels of predation on nests within Protected Areas, including remote sites such as Cavalos, Meio, João Vieira, Cabras or Adonga, to decide if direct management of nesting sites is needed. Another area of interest includes a better understanding of the traditional use of sea turtles by local people and commercialization of turtle products. Information on important feeding areas during inter-nest intervals as well as on growing areas of juveniles is also required [however, one must be extremely prudent when considering the study of foraging grounds using nets as capture tools, because researchers might unwillingly teach local people about sites and techniques to explore sea turtles for consumption, which could have disastrous effects]. Another area of particular interest is the assessment of the possible impact of predicted climate changes in the medium to long-term (e.g. Hays et al. 2003b).

The advancement of technology now enables studies to be conducted, using satellite transmitters, to identify key migratory routes and foraging habitats. It is crucial that such sites are located for the protection of marine turtle populations. The localisation of the main feeding areas and migratory routes will be essential for the identification of areas where there is a high potential risk of bycatch of turtles or other conflicts with fisheries. This will assist in establishing regulations for fishing activities in sensitive areas, and the implementation of international conservation protocols where turtles from Guinea-Bissau are found to be foraging outside the limits of national territorial waters. In fact, we need scientific data on turtle movements to use as a support and better justify the development of a sub-regional (West African) strategy for the conservation of these marine reptiles and a more comprehensive network of marine protected areas. Quite a lot of important data has already been gathered on the green turtles that nest in Poilão. However, we need more detailed data for feeding areas of non-breeding immatures and of other species, such as Olive Ridley’s. The diversity of subjects, the multiplicity of partners and potential sources of finance and the specificity of time-schedules all mean that rather than a specific coherent project, this component of the action plan should be seen as a strategic axis composed of several lines of actions or sub-projects.

Objectives 1. To assess the importance of unexplored potential turtle nesting beaches. 2. To study the nest predation levels on remote islands where predator

management could be considered, mainly in relation to introduced predators such as pigs.

3. To study the importance of turtles for local communities, rules and practices of harvest of eggs and females. To investigate if turtle products are reaching local markets.

4. To assess the probable implications for management and conservation of medium to long-term climate changes.

5. To determine the location of key migration corridors and foraging areas for turtles (Olive Ridley, Hawksbill) nesting in the Bijagós and identify the foraging areas of immature green turtles.

6. To write and publish a book on the marine turtles of Guinea-Bissau targeting the scientific community, conservation officers and the general public.

Project Outline/Methods Objective 1 – This is a small project that will involve short missions to the islands of Jeta, Pecixe and Melo during peak nesting seasons of green (middle of rainy season) and olive ridley turtles (middle of dry season). Further work may be needed if initial explorations reveal the presence of important number of turtles. Objective 2 – Priority areas to be studied (islands of Meio, Cavalo, Cabras, João Vieira, Adonga and Imbone) include some islands where pigs and other exotic animals area known to be present. This project, although conceptually simple, implies an involved biological survey with quite heavy logistics. This project should be carried out in partnership with researchers from abroad. Objective 3 – Surveys at local markets will be carried out. Interviews with fisherman and local villagers will also take place, within the framework of a larger (ongoing) study concerning the use of marine resources by the Bijagós people. Objective 4 – This should be carried out at Poilão and involves the forensic assessment of present sex-ratios of turtle hatchlings, relate those to time of the year, circa-annual climate patterns and nest location and characteristics, as well as some experimental manipulations of nests (for example, by shading) to check how sex ratios may be affected. Modelling in relation to current scenarios of future climate change will also be needed. This is a scientifically demanding project to be carried out in partnership with international research institutions. Objective 5 – This project may involve satellite tracking of olive ridley and hawksbill turtles marked while nesting at Poilão and Adonga, as well as the tracking of immature green turtles captured at foraging grounds in the Bijagós. This is an expensive and technically demanding project that needs to be developed in partnership with international research institutions. Objective 6 – Analyse all the data and published and unpublished reports available from different sources in Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere. Prepare a book scientifically rigorous and complete, but also written in an accessible way and well illustrated, so that it can appeal to the general public and be useful for managers and for staff involved in environmental education campaigns. The book will be authored by Guinea-Bissau turtle biologists assisted by international collaborators.

Co-ordination and execution This axis of intervention involves at least 6 independent projects, which will be coordinated and executed by different institutions. IBAP will have a strong

involvement on each one of those, assisted by national and international partners (potentially, such as FIBA, the Marine Turtle Research Group - University of Exeter, Eco-Ethology Research Unit – ISPA – Lisbon, Department of Anthropology, University College London, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London), some of which are already developing collaborative activities. New partnerships are possible and IBAP should actively seek those.

Results/Ouputs

- Internal IBAP reports of the status of sea turtles in new unexplored areas. - Masters and PhD theses. - Publications in specialist scientific journals. - Media articles. - Book on the sea turtles of Guinea-Bissau.

Estimated Budget Budgets will have to be refined with each project line.

5. Implementation of an environmental education campaign targeting multiple society levels and stakeholders to raise the profile of sea turtles and enhance other conservation measures

Introduction and Justification Environmental education and communication is a key aspect of any integrated strategy for the conservation of natural resources. However, education per se may be fruitless if one tries to convince targets to change their behaviour in the absence of alternatives or other incentives (including both positive incentives, such as compensation or alternative revenues, and negative incentives, such as the enforcement of restrictive legislation). Environmental education on sea turtle conservation needs to target several distinct groups of stakeholders. Local communities interact with sea turtles on nesting beaches and also on feeding grounds when involved in coastal fisheries. Foreign fisherman include both those that work inshore, operating from open boats coming from neighbouring countries (such as Senegal), and also large industrial fishing vessels, such as trawlers coming from the European Union and the Far East. National development NGOs can impact on sea turtles, for example by promoting the use of unfriendly fishing techniques (monofilament nets) in important feeding and mating grounds. They can also have a positive impact, by promoting alternative activities that allow an alleviation of the pressure on turtles exerted by local communities when harvesting eggs or adult turtles. Government officials and decision makers need to be educated in the marine turtle conservation issues, because they are responsible for the approval of relevant legislation and for the promotion of initiatives that can either be beneficial or detrimental to sea turtle populations. They are also ultimately responsible for all actions involving enforcement activities, on which an important part of this action plan is necessarily based. Targeting all these levels of society, environmental education needs to make sea turtles better known, including dissemination of information on their fascinating life-styles, their use as ecological indicators and flagship species, their existential value, the possibility of their use for eco-tourism and for promoting national biodiversity near donors and international partners, and the factors that threaten their survival.

Objectives 1. To disseminate information on the protected status of turtles and educate

local communities, in particular supporting efforts to link community-based turtle protection initiatives to development aid.

2. To reduce the accidental catch of sea turtles in fishing nets and promote the release of turtles caught alive through education of fisherman and through the promotion of the use of turtle-friendly fishing techniques.

3. To promote the approval of favourable legislation and the effective implementation of enforcement measures by educating government officials and decision-makers.

4. To raise the profile of sea turtles nationally, across of society levels.

Project Outline/Methods/Activities A leaflet or booklet explaining basic facts about sea turtles, their status, biology and conservation issues will be produced and will be distributed amongst school children and local communities in coastal areas with nesting turtles (mostly in the Bijagós

Archipelago). Such leaflet can also be distributed to other groups of stakeholders such as fisherman (both industrial and inshore fishing fleets) and fisheries observers, for example.

In areas with important concentrations of nesting sea turtles (e.g. the Orango National Park), park officials and/or local biologists are expected to collaborate with teachers in classrooms, giving short talks about the turtles in their areas. The new book on the sea turtles of Guinea-Bissau (see Project 4.6) will be offered to school teachers working in areas with significant turtle nesting. It will also be distributed to potentially influential officers, such as impact assessment technicians, fisheries control staff, government politicians involved in the management of natural resources, eco-tourist operators, etc. A program will be developed whereby aid and sustainable development projects carried out on protected areas are more or less formally linked to the conservation of turtles by the local communities. For this, officers and technicians from FIAL and from NGOs involved in those projects will be contacted and given education and very basic information on sea turtle facts and issues. Aid and projects will be negotiated with the population with the participation of IBAP and the provision of environmental services, in the form of nesting beach surveillance and protection, will be asked as a condition for the liberation of funds. Radio and TV programs and interviews on the subject of sea turtle and sea turtle conservation will be organised. An education campaign (including leaflet plus conference/workshop) specifically targeting staff from NGOs and FIAL will be organised. Messages to pass include the principle that fishing with lines and hooks should be promoted in the Bijagós, while fishing with nets should be discouraged (particularly in the most sensitive sectors of the Protected Areas). Hence, grassroots and aid projects involving fisheries (which are common in Guinea-Bissau) need to take environmental impact on sea turtles into account. Furthermore, training courses and workshops involving NGOs, FIAL and IBAP staff will be organised to agree on methods to link aid with sea turtle conservation. At the international level, and once project 3 is under way, there are interesting possibilities for the production, distribution and broadcasting of education materials targeting foreign fisherman, and national and international politicians who are involved in decisions concerning international fisheries and the adoption of environmentally friendly equipment and procedures (such as the use of TEDs).

Co-ordination and execution IBAP will coordinate the whole project and play a major role in implementation. Palmeirinha (a national NGO specializing in environmental education) and other national NGOs will also have a major role in implementation. Leaflets, booklets and radio or TV programs about sea turtles should be produced by teams of local biologists and communication professionals, in collaboration with expatriate specialists and members of national NGOs involved in conservation and sustainable development issues.

Estimated Budget 25.000 €

6. Development of a sustainable tourist use of the marine turtle resource

Introduction/Justification Marine turtles, both adults and hatchlings, are impressive and attractive animals, with fascinating and unique lifestyles. As such, they have a great potential to attract the attention of tourists interested in ecological and wildlife experiences. The tourist use of marine turtle nesting grounds has already been implemented in some areas (Johnson et al. 1996). In the Bijagós, there is a clear opportunity to obtain economic benefits from the presence of nesting sea turtles. On the one hand, there is the virtually impossible-to-quantify existential value of the marine turtles. Tourists, even if they do not get to see a turtle, may feel their experience in the Bijagós is enriched by the simple fact that they hear accounts or read leaflets, posters or books that show and tell them about the presence of such fascinating animals in the very waters where they are travelling, fishing or bathing. On the other hand, the presence of turtles may help develop the local eco-tourist activities, with visits to nesting and foraging grounds to watch for these animals. A pure eco-tourism operation practically does not exist yet in the Bijagós, although there is an initiative currently being developed in the Orango National Park by one small hotel/lodge near Eticoga. Initial experiments of the tourist use of turtles should not only be developed with this particular operator but also with less specialised operators based at Bubaque. The only site where turtles are easy to watch ashore is Poilão. From early July to the end of December, Poilão has got such numbers of both adult turtles and hatchlings, concentrated in a small area, that a short (overnight) stay is most likely to yield a rewarding experience. Although Poilão can and should be explored as a site for eco-tourist activities, it has some limitations, particularly the ones linked to its remoteness and lack of supporting infrastructure. Alternatives need to be sought, including observations of nests in areas with low nesting density on the Orango National Park, as well as observations of turtles in their foraging grounds. Such alternatives do not represent an eco-touristic product per se, but can be integrated with other activities, such as looking for hippos and birdwatching in the Orango National Park. The development of eco-tourism activities in the Bijagós will contribute to raise the interest of both local populations and governmental officials in the conservation of the area and its natural resources for sustainable use. This project will contribute to demonstrate that the conservation of marine turtles can promote, rather than prevent, the (sustainable) development of the area.

Objectives 1. Provide assistance in the field for the experimental set-up of eco-tourism

activities. 2. Train Park guards and members of the local population as tourist guides. 3. Produce printed materials that support eco-tourist activities. 4. Ensure that any tourist use of the beaches will not threaten the nesting turtles or

affect breeding success.

Project Outline/Methods/Activities Objective 1. Tourist operators working in the Bijagós Archipelago will be approached to establish and implement an agreement concerning the experimental set-up of a tourist utilisation of the marine turtles. Objective 2. Members of the Bijagós population and Park guards will be trained to act as tourist guides and to ensure that turtle watching does not have a negative impact on the turtles.

Objective 3. A booklet for tourists with general information on sea turtle biology and status in the area will be produced. It will include guidelines for tourists and tourist operators that are intended to make the turtle-watching activities non-invasive to nesting females. Objective 4. Visits to the island of Poilão will be organised, with specialised guides. Tourist will stay on the island overnight, and will be shown adult turtles laying eggs, as well as hatchlings leaving the nests and reaching the sea. When the opportunity arises, they will be invited to take part in the rescuing actions concerning the adult and hatchling turtles that often get trapped in the rocks surrounding the islands during periods of low tide, providing them with a unique experience of active “management” of an endangered species.

Co-ordination and execution This project will be co-ordinated by the staff of the João Vieira / Poilão Marine National Park and initial guidance of the tourists and training of tourist guides will be accomplished by biologists involved with the research and management of the area. Tourist guides and guards will be recruited in the Bijagós, to ensure that local communities get benefit from these activities. The booklet for tourists, with a code of conduct to ensure that the observation is harmless to the turtles, will be produced by an expatriate specialist in collaboration with national turtle specialists.

Estimated Budget 15.000 €