Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 12054294

The long-term goal is to protect endangered sea turtle species in partnership with local communities. The project aims to increase the capacity of coastal communities to protect sea turtles and develop sustainable livelihoods programs in the targeted area. The project aims to monitor the beach for turtle nests, engage in local conservation education, and help with data collection. This project will stimulate positive behavioral changes which favor sea turtle conservation. Through the project implementation, the local leaders will develop a community action plan which favors conservation in the short, medium and long-term.

The key objectives of this project include:

1) to improve the quality and availability of awareness-raising and educational materials within coastal communities and schools in the region;

2) to create an enabling environment for school children and youths in the region to learn and discuss about sea turtles, why they are threatened and how they can help to protect it;

3) to monitor beaches on a daily basis through counting, marking and recording the locations of all sea turtles and nests seen along the coast of targeted area; and

4) to engage coastal villages into dialogues and actions geared towards sea turtles conservation in the target area.

The key activity will be to training local poachers, fishermen and youths  to monitor the beaches for nesting sea turtles and protect them from poachers. Local monitor will be able to record sea turtle tracks, their nests and to identify the type of species as well as monitoring the nests till the hatchlings are out into the ocean. 

The project is important because the vulnerable species [the olive ridley] and the critically endangered species [the leatherback] are the most frequent marine sea turtles seen on the beaches in the area; therefore, raising awareness about their protection and training local fishermen, proachers and youths to protect these species will greatly decrease the loss of the population of the marine turtles in the region. It will also improve our relationship with locals in the region to ensure the protection of sea turtle coming out from the Atlantic Ocean.