SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH ON BIOKO ISLAND

Conservation efforts by the Asociación Amigos de Doñana (AAD) before 1998 and current efforts by the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP) in partnership with the Universidad Nacionál de Guinea Ecuatorial (UNGE) have aided the protection of Bioko's natural resources. From 1996 to 1998, selected Ureca community members were trained to measure and count the turtles that emerge on Bioko's southern beaches, under the direction of the AAD. This represented the first quantitative data available for these populations (Tomás et al. 1999). Data collection by community members (18 men and 16 women) was resumed in 2000 under the direction of the BBPP. Results from the 1996–2004 nesting seasons have previously been summarized (Rader et al. 2006; Tomás et al. 2010).

Since 2007, the BBPP has begun expanding its sea turtle conservation and educational outreach efforts. To obtain an estimate of sea turtle population sizes on Bioko Island, a passive integrated transponder tagging program of the leatherbacks has been initiated on the western-most beaches along with a flipper tagging program of the occasional green, olive ridley, and hawksbill turtles nesting there. While conducting experiments on leatherback physiology and nesting ecology, BBPP researchers also train and supervise local employees in collection of standard nesting ecology data, including morphometrics and reproductive output, on all species on the remaining nesting beaches. Employees were trained in the use of a global positioning system so that geo-referenced locations are recorded for each nest. Biweekly visits to Ureca to collect the nesting ecology data provide a frequent opportunity for further training and discussion. All data are managed by the BBPP.

The government has already issued law 8/1988 (which regulates hunting of wildlife) and presidential decree 183/87 (which regulates fishing), which offer some protection for sea turtles. Nevertheless, illegal taking of wildlife, including adult sea turtles and eggs, still occurs. Green turtle take has, in the past, been reported as high as 500 individuals per season (Castroviejo et al. 1994). Military officials previously issued commercial hunting permits for approximately 250 green turtles each year, although actual levels of take were thought to be much less due to the presence of local employees on the nesting beaches (Rader et al. 2006; Tomás et al. 2010). During the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 nesting seasons, BBPP employees documented permits issued by the Ministry of Defense for at least 25 and 9 turtles, respectively.

Green turtle meat is available in restaurants throughout the island during the nesting season and has even been found in freezer cases in Malabo supermarkets (D. Fitzgerald and S. Honarvar, pers. obs.). Interestingly, it is generally absent from the major bush meat market in Malabo. Detailed market surveys from 1997–2010 revealed a total of only 9 green, 3 leatherback, and 4 hawksbill turtles. In contrast, 3521 carcasses of the hingeback tortoise (Kinixys erosa; shipped from mainland) were recorded during the same survey period. The community members of Ureca opportunistically take eggs from all the species and have been observed attempting to sell turtle eggs to visitors in the village. When asked about the absence of eggs in the urban markets, they mentioned the logistical difficulties of transporting the eggs. Occasionally, military officials stationed in Ureca take turtles, including leatherbacks, for consumption (D. Fitzgerald and S. Honarvar, pers. obs.). While these activities have been reduced due to recent conservation initiatives, their well-documented occurrence in the past may already have impacted nesting numbers (Tomás et al. 2010). However, limited data on the population size of each species make it difficult to assess long-term trends.

ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Although some Ureca community members appreciate local conservation issues, their participation in the research is clearly dependent on the financial incentives offered by the program. These drivers are especially noticeable in a country that is developing as quickly as Equatorial Guinea, due to the recent discovery of oil reserves (Witherington et al. 2008). Maintaining competitive wages and developing alternative means of income are critical but increasingly difficult in Equatorial Guinea's rapidly growing economy.

Potential income from commercial green turtle use has increased dramatically since previous estimates (Table 1). To facilitate comparison with Castroviejo et al. (1994), incomes were calculated when assuming 50–100 people (working in groups of 10) participate in the trade and a 100,000 XAF tax (1 USD ≈ 450 XAF) is paid per group. Information on the current amount of this tax is unavailable. Exact numbers of green turtles currently taken are unknown but when using an estimate of 50 turtles per season based on reports from local employees of both permitted and nonpermitted take yields a range almost twice that in 1994 (Castroviejo et al. 1994). This number does not consider hawksbill or olive ridley turtles, which currently sell for 100,000 XAF per turtle. No data are available for prices of leatherback eggs or meat. Male community participants currently earn 65,000 XAF per month by conducting nightly turtle patrols for the BBPP (14 days per month), and women earn 36,000 XAF per month by conducting morning walks (7 days per month). Although this wage is competitive with potential incomes generated from commercial turtle use, the BBPP only employs 34 of roughly 100 villagers for the turtle project.

Table 1. Economic value of green turtle meat trade on Bioko Island.

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Approached about possible funding limitations in the future, many community members explicitly stated that they would return to the turtle trade if wages were decreased below current amounts. Fortunately, a few options are available to supplement income in the non-nesting season as well as buffer future funding limitations. A basket-weaving project has been implemented by the BBPP in which traditional Urecan baskets and fishing nets woven from local materials are sold in the Moka Wildlife Center. Opportunities exist to assist with BBPP primate censuses during the non-nesting season. In addition, many men from the village live and work in the port city of Luba during the off-season. Future opportunities for the development of markets for fish and agricultural products, which are currently harvested for subsistence, also may exist due to increased access from the new road.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION

There are many cogent reasons for the decision to develop access to Bioko's southern beaches. Opportunities to increase the standard of living in Ureca and better access for Equatoguineans to visit this part of the island for the first time are 2 potentially beneficial outcomes. Indeed, a greater awareness of turtle conservation issues may arise from increased exposure of the area. Many of the children in our classes at Moka had never seen a turtle. From a governmental standpoint, increased security and communications on this coast is a major consideration due to numerous coup attempts in the past.

Although conservation efforts on Bioko Island have their own unique challenges in light of the recent economic development, unexpected opportunities also have arisen. Equatorial Guinea's income from oil reserves is expected to decline within the next decade, and this has sparked some discussion within the government of the future potential of ecotourism. The government could be encouraged to develop sustainable employment opportunities by highlighting to the public likely economic and resource conservation benefits. With some Ureca community members already qualified to serve as guides for ecotours, sensitive ecotourism development may present alternative livelihood options for local people.

Employment opportunities to properly manage and administer the GCSH Scientific Reserve could also be developed, with the added benefit that sea turtle conservation can indirectly aid protection of other wildlife in the area. The GCSH Scientific Reserve is home to a unique assemblage of 11 nonhuman primates, which makes it an important area for primate conservation as well (Butynski and Koster 1994). Having already designated the area as a scientific reserve, the government of Equatorial Guinea is in a good position to demonstrate its concern by beginning to enforce the reserve's boundaries and the wildlife's protected status.

Although limited data make quantitative evaluations of the threats to Bioko's sea turtle populations difficult, the need for action is clear. Beach development in other regions has drastically influenced sea turtle populations (Lutcavage et al. 1997), and, without preventative measures, Bioko's turtles will face the same problems. The immediate concern is that easier access and the absence of sound enforcement may accelerate commercial turtle use by lowering the operational costs (i.e., boat and gasoline). This includes a potential increase in the amount of turtles taken as well as the potential opening of a market for turtle eggs, which historically have only been consumed locally (Castroviejo et al. 1994). The integrity of the nesting sites will remain for the time being, because major beach development is likely a few years off.

In addition to existing national legislation, the government of Equatorial Guinea has recently demonstrated its intent to manage and conserve the country's marine turtle populations by becoming a party to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 2010 and by signing the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Conservation Measures for Marine Turtles of the Atlantic Coast of Africa. However, sufficient support needs to be generated through institutions such as UNGE, communities such as Ureca, and both civil and military authorities to push for effective enforcement. UNGE provides strong potential for generating this support, and collaborations with the university are a key component of the BBPP's conservation efforts. The future of these nesting populations will rely heavily on the presence of well-trained and educated Equatoguineans working to protect their resources.

The construction of the new road presents critical conservation challenges on Bioko Island, not only for sea turtles but also for the island's unique terrestrial biodiversity. Ultimately, the government must provide the impetus to develop strategies to deal with these challenges, strategies that may well build on the ongoing efforts and experience of the BBPP, its partners, and the Ureca community.