Four Years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex Of
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Four Years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas Gabon, Central Africa 2002-2006 Bas Verhage, Eustache Beodo Moundjim, Suzanne Rachel Livingstone Financial support from: In cooperation with: and: PROTOMAC Four years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex, Gabon Table of contents Acronyms...................................................................................................................... 3 Abstract......................................................................................................................... 4 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5 1.1 General introduction ......................................................................................... 5 1.2 Stakeholder mapping........................................................................................ 6 1.3 Objectives of the project................................................................................... 7 1.4 Sea turtles in Western/Central Africa .............................................................. 8 1.5 Protection........................................................................................................... 9 1.6 Research area - The Gamba Complex ............................................................. 9 1.7 Study site ......................................................................................................... 10 2 Project activities ..................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Research .......................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Population identification........................................................................................... 12 2.1.2 PIT tagging leatherbacks......................................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Biometric measurements......................................................................................... 12 2.1.4 Leatherback nest ecology and hatchery success.................................................... 13 2.2 Capacity building and (inter)national cooperation....................................... 13 2.3 (Eco)Tourism ................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Beach cleanup ................................................................................................. 14 3 Research Methods.................................................................................................. 15 3.1 Monitoring nesting activities.......................................................................... 15 3.2 Biometric measurements................................................................................ 15 3.3 Nest ecology (by Suzanne R. Livingstone) ................................................... 15 3.4 Genetic study.................................................................................................... 17 3.5 Weekly nest counts......................................................................................... 17 3.6 Additional research......................................................................................... 17 1 Four years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex, Gabon 4 Results ..................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Nest counts and species composition .......................................................... 18 4.2 Migration .......................................................................................................... 22 4.3 Measurements of body size............................................................................ 24 4.4 Nest ecology (by Suzanne R. Livingstone) ................................................... 25 4.5 Genetics ........................................................................................................... 28 4.6 Threats.............................................................................................................. 28 4.6.1 Natural threats ............................................................................................................... 28 4.6.2 Poaching........................................................................................................................ 28 4.6.3 Logs............................................................................................................................... 29 4.6.4 Industrial threats ............................................................................................................ 29 4.6.4 Observations on at sea mortality................................................................................... 31 4.7 Beach cleanup ................................................................................................. 35 4.8 Tourism ............................................................................................................ 35 4.9 Capacity building and (inter) national cooperation...................................... 35 4.9.1 First steps towards a national Sea Turtle Conservation Strategy in Gabon ..................... 36 4.9.2 The Trans-Atlantic Leatherback Migration Programme (from proposal by C. Drews)...... 39 5 Discussion............................................................................................................... 42 5.1 Population dynamics ...................................................................................... 42 5.2 Nest ecology (By Suzanne R. Livingstone)................................................... 44 6 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 48 8 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 49 9 References............................................................................................................... 50 Annex 1 ....................................................................................................................... 54 Annex 2 ....................................................................................................................... 56 2 Four years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex, Gabon Acronyms ASF Aventures Sans Frontières APDN Association des Pêcheurs Artisanaux du Département de Ndougou BBPP Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program CAFPAP Central African Forest and Poverty Alleviation Programme CAWFHI Central African World Forest Heritage Initiative CBG Company du Bois du Gabon CENAREST Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CMS Convention of Migratory Species CNPN National Parks Council – Conseil National des Parcs Nationaux CRAP After Oil Reflection Committee (Comité de Réflexion Après-Pétrole) DFC Directorate of Wildlife and Hunting – Direction de la Faune et de la Chasse (MEFEPCEPN) EU European Union ENEF Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forêts IBONGA-ACPE Association for Understanding and Protection of the Environment – Ibonga - Association pour la Connaissance et la Protection de l’Environnement HSE Health Security and Environment Department, Shell-Gabon IOSEA Indian Ocean and South East Asia IUCN World Conservation Union KUDU Protection of Marine Turtles in Western Africa MEF(EPCEPN) Ministry of Water and Forests – Ministère de l’Economie Forestière, de la Pêche, du Reboisement charge de l’Environnement et de la Protection de la Nature MTCA Marine Turtle Conservation Act NGO Non Governmental Organization Pont Dick Name of Research Area PROTOMAC Protection de Turtues Marine d’Afrique Central PSVAP Programme Sectoriel de Valorisation des Aires Protégées SCD Society for Conservation and Development SFN Société Forestière de la Nyanga SG Shell Gabon SI Smithsonian Institution SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Programme WIDECAST Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network WCS Wildlife Conservation Society WWF World Wide Fund for Nature WWF-CARPO WWF-Central Africa Programme Office WWF-LAC WWF-Latin America and the Caribbean WWF-IOSEA WWF-Indian Ocean and South East Asia USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service 3 Four years of Marine Turtle Monitoring in the Gamba Complex, Gabon Abstract Gabon holds one of the largest leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) populations in the world, but still little is known about their population dynamics, foraging behaviour, nest ecology and threats. In Total, we find four species of marine turtles nesting on its beaches. The leatherback and the olive ridley are regular nesters and the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle are rare. Since 2002 WWF and Ibonga have set up a Marine Turtle Monitoring Programme in the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas, in the south-west of Gabon. The main objective of our Marine Turtle Programme is to conserve marine turtles by assisting the Government of Gabon in developing capacity to effectively manage the parks and reserves in the Gamba Complex. Our activities include protection, monitoring, scientific research, building capacity and awareness raising. The main focus of this programme is on leatherbacks because of its predominant presence in the area. The monitoring Programme is executed on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis. The daily monitored zone is 5,75