The PROTETUGA project has been operating on the island since 2015, working together with regional authorities and a vast local and international community. The project aims to improve the conservation status of sea turtles and make Príncipe a sanctuary for the five species that frequent our waters.
Working with local communities we demonstrate the benefits of turtle conservation and encourage participation in making the beaches and waters of Príncipe safe places for all the sea turtle species. Actions are developed along three lines: protection and monitoring; education and awareness-raising; & scientific investigation.
Joana Castro © Fundação Príncipe
Context:
Several threats are affected the stability and growth of sea turtle populations in the region. These include illegal hunting; plastic poisoning; predation by introduced mammals (e.g. dogs and civets); entanglement in abandoned fishing nets; and loss of nesting sites due to the illegal extraction of sand from beaches.
Despite some conservation successes - such as reduction in hunting through the implementation of National and Regional Laws and sensitization of local communities - there is still much to be done to make Príncipe Island a sanctuary for sea turtles.
For several years the Príncipe Regional Government has joined forces with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the protection of sea turtles.
Sea turtles are important components of marine ecosystems and are the focus of numerous international research programmes. However, regional knowledge of biological aspects such as the distribution of feeding and resting sites is still scarce, making it difficult to implement protection and conservation measures that meet their real needs.
Project activities include:
Monitoring through night-time beach patrols, day-time sea patrols, and community focal points, ensuring presence on at least 75% of nesting beaches;
Capacity building for staff and other project members;
Awareness raising – e.g through the Zero Capture outreach Campaign and the hosting of school visits at the Kaxí Tetuga Museum;
Management of a Community Fund, which receives revenue from tourists visiting turtle beaches and distributes it to local communities that exercise good environmental practices;
Communication and sharing of conservation messages with local communities through posters and painted murals;
Supporting Artesãs do Príncipe Facilita outside Umuen – a local enterprise that produces jewelry made from flip-flops that are recovered from the sea;
Engagement with a network of national and international partners, with a focus on contributing to scientific publications;
Funders & partners
