The Strategic Management of Turtle Populations in Seychelles
Hawkbill turtle hatcling. PHOTO: Elke Talma
Four species of marine turtle occur in Seychelles’ waters of which two breed here, the Hawksbill (
Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Green Turtle (
Chelonia mydas).
Seychelles hosts one of the five largest remaining populations of the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtles in the world (Meylan & Donnelly. 1999) and significant populations of the endangered Green Turtle.
Research had however indicated declines in the size of many of the most important nesting populations despite having been fully protected under the law since 1994.
Factors behind this ongoing decline include:
increased coastal development and the resulting destruction of nesting habitat
the impact of historical exploitation upon current population demographics on-going poaching at some sites
accidental mortality from various sources, possibly including fishery by-catch.
Key factors that would improve the survival status of the Seychelles turtle populations are a clear strategic overview of the status of turtle rookeries and habitat, and better coordination of communications and activities between the various stakeholders involved in turtle monitoring and turtle conservation.
This project was devised by the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) to fulfil this need and was funded under a grant from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office through the British High Commission in Victoria, Seychelles.
It brings together the key stakeholders involved in turtle monitoring and turtle conservation in Seychelles and has developed a database and ensuing strategy and plan in an equitable manner to reap the consequent synergistic benefits, in terms of enhanced turtle management.
The project has established a central and accessible web-based database enabling the development of a Strategy and Action Plan that will coordinate activities and optimise efficiencies and effectiveness of stakeholder activities in this regard.
Vision Statement
Turtles have a stable or increasing conservation status in Seychelles, at least maintaining current range.
Mission Statement
To establish an effective, coherent, co-operative national approach to conservation and research into turtles and the management of turtles habitats in Seychelles, and to secure a sustainable basis for the initiation and/or continuation of relevant programmes that encourage broad stakeholder participation.
Strategic Goals & Objectives
The strategic goals and objectives for the project are as follows:
1. Enhance the conservation of turtles and management of their habitats through effective programmes of monitoring, research and protection
2. Establish a sustainable, co-operative mechanism that will provide information to stakeholders and government thus increasing public awareness about the status of turtle conservation
3. Promote the development, implementation, and enforcement of legislation to the conservation of turtles and their habitats
4. Promote the development, implementation and enforcement of legislation to ensure the conservation of marine turtles and the protection of their nesting beaches and off-shore feeding grounds while increasing their worth to the population through sustainable non-consumptive use.
Project Implementation
Consultation with stakeholders was the founding basis of the project. The project brought stakeholders together into “a partnership of equals”.
This involved a broad consultation with Governmental, Non-Governmental and private sector stakeholders seeking to harness resources, identify and coordinate implementation of strategic activities, and amongst other things investigate ways and means of imbuing non-consumptive value to turtle populations in order to enhance their conservation status – such as through turtle eco-tourism - and build upon those components of the previous conservation and management programmes.
Hawksbill turtle being measured for growth rate assessment. PHOTO: Uli Enfont
To do this it was necessary to bring the various actors in Seychelles turtle conservation together in a new partnership for directed strategic action. The partnership was founded on the principles of equity and transparency.
One of the key requirements was the sharing of information and data in order to enable the establishment and effective functioning of a national database with which to generate a National Strategy and Action Plan. The proprietary rights of stakeholders to information had to be recognised and respected in order to ensure that the various agencies (Governmental, Parastatal, NGO and Private) were willing to provide their data and thereby advance the overarching goal of marine turtle conservation.
This is often a delicate and sensitive issue but the majority of partners in Seychelles were very willing to develop a Memorandum of Understanding, through open and equitable consultation, that clearly sets out the terms and conditions of information provision and use.
This agreement enabled the establishment of the database and subsequently the development of a National Strategy and Action Plan for Turtle Management that has been submitted to the Government of Seychelles for endorsement.
The database and the Strategy/Action Plan are complementary; with the Action Plan providing information to feed into the database, and the database through time reflecting trends in turtle populations which in turn will provide a basis to revise the Strategy and Action Plan.
This joint undertaking also helped to raise the profile of turtle populations in Seychelles, through specific and related public awareness campaigns, and served to mobilise new and additional funds for turtle conservation in Seychelles.
Strategy & Action Plan 
