Sea Turtle Program

 

SEA TURTLE PROJECT INTERVENTIONS

Nesting Beach survey
We have monitoring data since 2006 and with the available data in hand we are updating the habitat structure of the area where sea turtle nest. In 2018-19 season, we explored the entire coast including large mangrove Sundarban. Each year for review of nesting beach we conduct rapid survey through interview, market survey and direct observation.  The BFD, USFWS and WFN project helped us to install monitoring stations and based on these centers monitoring and conservation are being conducted by community.

 
Interviews
With community, fishermen, elders, indigenous and minorities regarding sea turtle nesting, any existing markets, consumers, nesting evidence, past and present etc.
Direct Observation
Regarding habitat type, nesting beach suitability, sandy beach condition, mangrove, beach vegetation, human intervention, infrastructure, fishing, tourism and threats like lighting, egg harvest, habitat degradation, pollution, garbage etc.
 
Consultation with FD offices
Project staff visited FD offices and informed FD officers about sea turtle project, collected existing information, map and got suggestions from local staff for monitoring.
 
 

Monitoring Stations
After the initial nesting beach survey along the entire coast of project locations at South east coast, we have all information on nesting. At known and probable monitoring site we built monitoring stations. In previous years since 2004 we have been installed bamboo made small posts along with relocations enclosures. As these are seasonal, and not durable so costly for long term and not sustainable.

 
 

We need to develop monitoring post permanent that can withstand monsoon climate and long lasting. In future these will be developed for accommodation facility for volunteers and researchers coming for internship in future.
 
4.3. Nesting Sea Turtle Monitoring

Monitoring of nesting sea turtle conducted through the entire project period, by trained local people called Conservation Activist or Assistant (CA) leaded by Research Assistant (RA) at particular locations. A total 371man/month worked for monitoring with fewer people in monsoon (May-Sept) and higher number in nesting season (Oct-April) and monitoring conducted without any gap of nesting beach. On need basis egg relocation enclosure installed for safe hatching. Night survey started according to daily tide time, 3 hours before to 3 hours after high tide every night. Each patrol man surveyed a section of 1-2 kms in nesting season to locate and conserve nesting turtle and nest. CA collected data and conserves nests at in situ, semi in situ or whenever necessary relocated eggs for reburying at safe hatching ground. The team collected information on threats, lighting, fishing efforts, tourism activity and stranding turtle data during the course of monitoring. Local CA trained to identify sea turtle, track, nest location, external morphology & special marking, tags and injures. CA followed ID guides produced by MLA in local language (Figure-4.3). For all monitoring activity on nesting turtle, we followed the guidelines “Sea Turtle Management Techniques (IUCN/SSC/MTSG)”. (Guideline: Pritchard & Mortimer (1999).

 
4.4. Morphmetric & Environmental Study
The trained Conservation Activist (CA) from the community conducted various tasks during monitoring viz., sea turtle and, track identification, nest location, external morphology & special marking, tags and injures etc. CA followed the ID guide in Bangla produced by MarineLife Alliance. A sea turtle general knowledge & conservation management local guide already developed. On the beaches measurement taken to relate body size to reproductive outputs to determine minimum size at sexual maturity and to monitor nesting female size for the Bangladesh nesting rookery. The Local ID guide by Marinelife Alliance produced through following guideline described by Pritchard & Trebbau (1984). Linear measurement taken for Curved Carapace Length (CCL), Straight Carapace Length (SCL), Curved Carapace Width (CCW), Straight Carapace width (SCW). CA collected data on the following parameters:
 
□  CCL, CCW, weight, crawl, nesting, dead and false crawl. emergences, egg chamber, body pit.
□  Nesting: species, frequency. beach type, vegetation.
□  Beach type: slope, rocky, sandy, vegetation.
□  Time of the day/sun/moon/tide condition.
□  Wind: direction, intensity and rainfall, seasonal or incidental bad weather.
□  Human activity on the beach: threats, lighting, disturbance & impact on nesting signs.

4.6. Sea Turtle Conservation 
During nesting monitoring sea turtle eggs conserved either by in situ or ex situ activity. At some places eggs left at natural state for hatching (in situ). CA covered the natural nest by bamboo net or plastic net to prevent unwanted predation by dogs & also by poachers and mark the nests with designated warning message. Beach relocation enclosure installed at areas of disturbances for safe hatching. Eggs collected by CA and reburied. Beach relocation enclosure installed on deferent locations at areas mentioned in Table-3. The CAs followed the guideline already made for them in local language. For ex situ & in situ conservation we followed the methods and guidelines described by Boulon, R.H.(1999) and Mortimer, J.A. (1999).
 
4.6.1. In situ Nest Conservation: near the relocation enclosures and at relatively safe locations nest were kept for in situ conservation. Primary protection of nest was done by 5X5 Ft bamboo or plastic net. Intensive observation period starts after 45 days on incubation. Hatchlings naturally found their way and emerged through the fence hole and crawled to the sea.
 
4.6.2. Ex situ Nest Conservation: Eggs relocate and buried in artificial nest chamber resemble to the original nest. Hatchlings release by designated CA recruited for the conservation centers. All nests were relocated and buried within 5-30 minutes at night to avoid temperature change and also limit the disturbances.

 
4.7. Relocated Eggs Safe Hatching Ground:
The enclosure list summarized in Table-4.1, these were seasonal and each season newly installed since the area flooded in monsoon high tide and changing to new location increase the success of hatching rate. They were of deferent sizes like 15 Ft X 15 ft, 40 ft X 40 ft. All the enclosures were set according to the needs and 18, 33 and 29 enclosures installed in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 nesting seasons collectively. From St. Martin to Kutubdia Island. Trained recruited staff from the community conserved all the nests of sea turtles on the respective beaches and mitigated threats locally as per as possible. MLA managed the whole program though the entire project period. Respective FD officials visited time to time to monitor the activity. All relocation ground were on beaches nearest exactly on the nesting ground. Each relocated eggs hatching ground has been installed with totally new methods. The materials used nylon netting, with bamboo column. It is cheaper and easier to install.  Size of the enclosures ranged 225 SFT to 1200SFT depending on the required size. With low cost we were able to installed total 22 enclosures along the entire project area through the support of FD & FWS-US. Enclosures installed during September-October after the end of the rainy season, installed on dry sandy zone above the spring high tide mark, where vegetation cover exists i.e. with some moisture & where nesting sea turtles actually dig their nest chambers. Fencing was 4-5 ft above ground and 1 ft below ground to prevent animals digging under the enclosure. Hatchery ground selected on cleared free from shore vegetation roots especially Vitex, Ipomea etc. set with strong bamboo pillars, and fitted with entrance doors and locks. With every enclosures there was monitoring post guarded with local conservation staff.
Sea Turtle nest conservation conducted all along with the monitoring of nesting turtles. With the support from FD it was possible to protect 98% nests of Sonadia Island through semi in situ conservation process. Other major spots of in situ protection is Konapara, Shilbaniar Gula and at Cheradia at St. Martin Island. MLA will need strong FD official support to conduct in situ conservation as there is no coordination between GOs and NGOs working at the same area. MLA is emphasizing in situ and semi in situ conservation whenever it is possible. Therefore, in this project MLA is proposing 2 seasonal relocation facilities for spots at Teknaf peninsular beach where disturbances is high and in situ and semi in situ activity is difficult to carry on. MLA is practicing in situ conservation program in the spots mentioned in Table-4.1 & map-4 during the last several years with high hatching rate.

Table-4.1. Seasonal sea turtle relocated nest hatching enclosure sites (2015-19).
Serial	Area	Spot	SEASON
			2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19
1	Matarbari	Whole Beach
2	Dholghata-	Haser Char
3		Laldiar Char
4	Sonadia	West Village
5		East Village
6	Cox’s Bazar Teknaf Peninsula	Somitipara(Cox Bazar)
7		Himchori
8		Pechardwip
9		Sonarpara
10		Nidania
11		Inani-Sofirbill
12		Patoartek
13		Samchori
14		Ruppoti
15		Imamerdel
16		Chowankhali
17		MadarBonia
18		Cepotkhali
19		Monkhali
20		Samlapur-Puranpara
21		Shilkhali
22		BainnaPara
23		Jahajpura
24		Hajampara
25		Kaccapia
26		Rajarchara
27		Habirchara
28		Noakhalipara
29		Moheskhalipara-Teknaf
30		Sabrang, Baharchara
31		Mundardel-Kochubonia
32		Khurermukh
33		Sahporirdwip
34	St. Martin island	Konapara
35		Shil Baniar Gula
** Spot furnished with Orange box mostly visited by people and officials of BFD; spots in green color box usually visited by FD officials, tourists during nesting and hatching season with unlimited records.