allAfrica.com: Kenya: People Saving the Turtle (Page 1 of 2)

The once threatened turtle breeding grounds at the Kiunga Marine National Reserve are now enjoying a revival.

Turtles come to this Kenyan Coastal area to nest; their eggs have been prey for poachers, but all that is no more now that the community has been recruited into the fight to save the endangered species. They track the gentle creatures to their nests not only to report the new nests to KMNR for a reward of of $3 apiece but also to personally protect the nests from predators.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the reporting rate of conserving the endangered species by the coastal fishing community has improved. This is due to the intervention of international non-governmental organisation under the KMNR Projects and joint nest protection and surveillance with partners.

"The community is now more receptive to our conservation project because it has been involved, and we have witnessed a 67 per cent reporting rate of turtle nests by the people. We have reduced marine turtle poaching through effective awareness campaigns, surveillance and enforcement," said KMNR Project co-ordinator Sam Weru.

Marine turtles, the project's flagship species, are endangered and protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (Cites). This listing prohibits commercial trade in the animal and its parts.

The uniquely pristine environment around Kiunga provides ideal nesting beaches for the hawksbill, green and Olive Ridley turtles. About 12,000 turtles hatch every season along the beaches of Kiunga.

"The annual number of nests is 100 and the annual number of hatchings is 10,000. Over the past four years, this number has always been exceeded. Currently, we are at 117 nests per year," Mr Weru said. "The peak breeding season is May-August, which also happens to be the cool and rainy season of the year."

"The hatchings could result from any number of mothers as a mother can lay 2-3 nests in a breeding season, usually spanning 3-8 weeks after the first nest. Each nest can contain between 50 and 200 eggs depending on the age and size of the female."

THE SHELL PLATES OF THE hawksbill turtle are the most beautiful among all marine turtles, making them a sought-after item for jewellery. Bekko (tortoise shell) items are much coveted in Japan, where bekko processing dates back more than 300 years. For centuries, bekko, which is actually the shell plate of the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) has been delicately worked into ornaments and other fine objects. Till today, bekko combs remain an integral part of the traditional Japanese wedding dress.

In addition to marine pollution, overfishing and loss of nesting grounds, netting of hawksbill turtles for their shell plates has contributed to their status as an endangered species. It is estimated that more than 600,000 hawksbill turtles were required to produce all the bekko imported by Japan between 1970 and 1986. One hawksbill turtle can yield about 80 grammes of bekko.

Japan, which imported an average of 38,700 kilogrammes of bekko annually between 1980 and 1989, gradually cut back on imports until a total ban was imposed in 1993.

But because consumers still ask for and purchase bekko products, the trade continues illegally. Investigators from Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, surveyed locations in Indonesia and Vietnam in 2001 and 2002. These two countries have been known to export bekko to Japan in the past.

The KMNR Project was launched in 1995. It was established as a protected area in 1979, and designated a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 1980 together with the adjacent Dodori National Reserve. In 1996, WWF and the Kenya Wildlife Service established a working partnership to develop a long-term management strategy, integrating conservation and development priorities.

Kiunga is a globally outstanding marine and coastal resource. Biologically rich marine habitats such as mangroves, sea grass beds and coral reefs are under threat from destructive and unsustainable fishing practices, coastal erosion, tourism development, deliberate habitat alteration, pollution by plastic debris from all over the world and coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures.

THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVE is to safeguard biodiversity and integrity of physical and ecological processes of the marine ecosystem for the health, welfare, enjoyment and inspiration of present and future generations. As a result, there has been improved health and education and provision of safe drinking water.

The Kiunga Project seeks sustainable and equitable methods of using the reserve's resources in collaboration with a wide range of partners and stakeholders that include KWS, the Fisheries Department, district government officials, and local communities, in order to safeguard the area's exceptional marine resources for future generations.

Officials of WWF say that what has saved this Unesco site from further destruction due to mass tourism is that it is still practising exclusive tourism, charging $600 per night.

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