The coasts of Northern Madagascar include crucial foraging and nesting habitats for sea turtles. However, over-exploitation for food and the curio trade and destruction of nesting and foraging sites have resulted in the decrease and local extinction of some populations. Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are the most common on nesting beaches, but also occasionally Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) may be observed.

 

Objectives

 

(1) to collect informationon endangered sea turtle nesting sites in the wider northern regions of Madagascar

 

(2) to prioritize these sites for the establishment of community-based monitoring programmes

 

(3) to contribute to regional and international turtle nesting databases

 

To achieve these objectives, we will work with local (fishing associations, University of Antsiranana), national (CNRO, Madagascar National Parks), regional (IOSEA), international (IUCN) organizations to collate information on a sub-regional and national level

 

The first phase of this work is to conduct detailed qualitative interviews of Key Informants (KIs) - recognized in a community as being particularly knowledgeable in the area of turtle nesting . The second phase involves surveys of nesting beaches recording tracks, nests and evidence of hunting.

 

Track counts will provide an overview of relative importance of sites and seasonality of nesting turtles. Measuring carapaces and other turtle remains can provide an estimation of the impact of hunting on the overall fecundity of the population through selection of particular life history stages. Recording general characteristics of each nesting beach including width, slope, predominant vegetation, proximity to nearest village grain size etc can help us identify factors which provide favourable conditions for sea turtle nesting habitat Data collected will be analyzed using GIS to be set up in early 2011 and added to throughout the year.