Water

The east coast of India has a wide diversity of important coastal and marine ecosystems, which many people depend on. Olive Ridley turtles nest along the sandy beaches of Nellore district. Before TREE Foundations’ community-based sea turtle conservation initiative started in 2008, local fishing communities were unaware of the protection laws and the importance of protecting turtles. Fishery-related mortality of sea turtles at sea remains high. TREE Foundation engages former turtle poachers and artisanal fisherfolk as Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF) members. This project expects to protect 600 turtle nests and to safely release around 60,000 hatchlings during the 2024/25 nesting season. It will monitor the nesting sea turtles; prevent poaching activities along 96km of coastline through patrols, community engagement and awareness; reduce by-catch mortality through environmental education programmes engaging 12,000 artisanal fishers, and strengthen partnerships with all stakeholders to ensure conservation laws are observed. The project also offers guided Turtle Walks to raise awareness and fortunate participants can witness nesting turtles.

The Hawaii Multiple Use Area (AUMH), a 4,000+ hectare marine protected area, features diverse habitats including mangrove wetlands. A natural inland mangrove waterway and lagoons are popular for kayaking, swimming, and bird- and fauna-watching.  Home to important sea turtle nesting beaches, and 161 reported bird species.  Hawaii faces many threats including unplanned tourism, lack of conservation awareness, deforestation and pollution. This project by ARCAS, will conserve biodiversity and promote alternative sustainable livelihoods. It will replant 2 hectares of mangroves, and 5kms of mangrove waterways will be cleared of trash dumps, enabling the natural regeneration of a further 40ha.  Ecotourism will be improved through interpretative signage along mangrove waterways, promotion of boating, kayaking and birdwatching in the area, and 15 residents receiving comprehensive Community Tour Guide training course.  Twelve of these guides will be equipped to facilitate wildlife tours and outdoor activities in the AUMH.

Cape Verde beaches host one of the world’s largest loggerhead turtle nesting populations, with beaches of protected areas Reserva Natural das Tartarugas (RNT) and Parque Natural do Norte (PNN) on the SE of Boa Vista hosting the highest densities of loggerhead nest throughout the archipelago. Since 1998, Cabo Verde Natura 2000 NGO has been leading loggerhead conservation, protection, and management activities in this important rockery, mitigating the main threats of adult females poaching, marine debris, and high predation and death rate of hatchlings. This project aims to conserve turtles on the most important beaches through continual nightly patrols throughout the nesting season, rescuing disorientated adult female turtles, assisting hatchlings to reach the sea, and reducing poaching by 50% by hiring local people to reinforce protection and surveillance. Seven environmental education and awareness activities will be held. A clean up campaign will clear 15km of nesting beaches from plastic waste.