Republic of Kiribati Leads The World In Conservation

Those who like eat fish would not like to see the day without fish. Much less those who relish the gourmet Tuna fish!

There are others who may like fish for other reasons. They catch, sell or trade in fish; it is a multi-million dollar business globally.

But there is yet another class who would like fish for their importance in biological space (biodiversity) because there are innumerable number of fishes of different sizes, varieties, numbers and their role in fresh water or marine ecosystems.

In this context, this post intends to inform the readers of this blog about Kiribati's recent decision to preserve and protect tuna fish stock in a part of the Pacific ocean as a major international initiative.

A view of Kiribati Island

Last month (16th June), at the U.S. State Department’s led ‘Our Ocean Conference’ held in Washington, Anote Tong, President of the Republic of Kiribati formally announced that Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) will close to all commercial fishing by the end of 2014. The only relaxation  was subsistence fishing around Kanto Island.

The decision is part of a larger move to control commercial fishing and safeguard the world’s most important island and ocean areas. The decision is a test case for large-scale  conservation of tuna stocks. The decision assumes importance from the point of view of conservation, interests of future generation and the Kiribati’s future economy. 

The decision is joint effort of Kiribati government, the US agency, Conservation International, and New England Aquarium. PIPA’s closure will take effect ahead of the Marine Protected Area s (MPA) original plan to 28% closure of commercial fishing before 2014 end.

“This is the boldest action taken  by a government I have seen in my career in terms of protecting natural capital and creating critically-needed protected areas,” said Dr.Greg Stone, CI’s chief scientist and chairman of the PIPA Trust Board of Trustees. The PIPA is 11 percent of Kiribati's Exclusive Economic Zone; it is a significant area to set aside for conservation, food security and sustainable development.

President Tong of Kiribati said, “My people have been custodians of our oceans for centuries”, while addressing world ocean leaders from 80 countries. He added that solutions must focus on a united, connected and sustained approach. “Action is our obligation for our children and our children's children. The closure of the Phoenix Island Protected Area will have a major contribution for regeneration of tuna stocks, not only for us but for our global community, and for generations to come.”

Tuna is an economic mainstay of Kiribati and indeed many Pacific Island states. It took nearly two decades for MPAs to be recognized as a valuable approach for coastal fisheries, and the time is now to include MPAs as a vital part of our sustainable tuna strategy,” President Tong said. “We are committed to testing this in the heart of the world’s largest tuna fishery.”

The PIPA is one of the world's most economically important waters left on the planet, and it houses the largest remaining stocks of tuna fish. About 60% of the world’s tuna catch is dominated by fleets from China, Europe, Japan and the U.S., comes from this region.

The UNESCO included PIPA in its World Heritage List in 2010, in recognition of its universally significant ocean wilderness and contribution to ecological and biological processes in the evolution of global marine ecosystems. Its considers increased fishing protection critical to long-term conservation of PIPA's natural value.  

Kiribati government’s action to close the largest and deepest UNESCO World Heritage site to commercial fishing is an exemplary move by a developing country in order to safeguard global food security in the next century.

Through this conservation effort, Kiribati is investing in its natural resources. This decision is taken in spite of fiscal and political constraints and Kiribati's dependence on fisheries for more than 40% of its national budget. There is also a big question of survival because of the rising sea levels due to climate change.  

With fish stocks rapidly diminishing worldwide, the PIPA’s closure, which represents approximately 11% of Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and is the size of California, aims to strengthen tuna stocks that will ultimately be available to commercial fishing outside the protected area for generations to come.

The complete closure of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, except an exemption for subsistence fishing in a populated area, is an important precedence of stewardship for many other World Heritage marine sites which still struggle with unsustainable fishing practices.

APP Released to Promote East Indies Fishes Among Masses

​​ The US based agency Conservation International (CI) has announced the release of  the “Reef Fishes Of The East Indies” mobile app, a digital guide to every known reef fish species in the most biodiverse region on the planet, based on the book of the same title.

The objective is sharing  knowledge on reef fish of the region which is of great value to the regions biodiversity. This app will increase motivation and momentum for conservation to ensure that the region’s species and their delicate ecosystems are allowed to stay balance.

Maintaining this natural capital is key to the region’s important tourism industry, and other ecosystem services the ocean provides the people.

The comprehensive guide  includes over 2,500 reef fishes of which 25 species are new to science. It summarizes 60 years of research and exploration and brings greater understanding and valuation of the immense biodiversity of reef fish in the East Indies.

The scientist authors, Mark Erdmann and Gerry Allen, have spent much of their lives at sea discovering, studying and conserving some of the most rare and beautiful fish in the world. The proceeds of this CI produced app will support CI Indonesia’s marine conservation program.

Designed for iPad and Kindle Fire, the app "Reef Fishes of the East Indies" enables users to use it at sea, with no internet connection. The app contains many useful and interactive features including search, note-taking and drawing features, detailed entries for each species, and photo-sharing by e-mail and social media.

A perfect digital guide for divers and nature lovers to use in the office, school, home or out on the open sea, it was originally created as a book but later made into an app to bring this information to the masses in an easy to access, transportable format.

The coverage area of the app includes the Coral Triangle (including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands) which alone boasts 37% of the world’s coral reef fish species.

It covers all shallow-water (0-75m) reef-associated fish species known from the region, including both obligate reef dwellers and those that are commonly observed passing through reef areas or in the soft bottom areas just adjacent to reefs.

From the majestic manta ray (Manta birostris) to the gorgeous, jewel-like mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus), with 2,655 species in over 3,000 Retina Display/High Definition photos, the sheer quantity of content is split between three volumes for iPad that link together seamlessly, so you can move instantly between one volume and another.

Organized by Classification, Family, and Species, the app will be regularly updated to keep up with the scientists’ new discoveries. Scientists have very recently found a new species of “walking” Bamboo Shark (Hemiscyllium halmahera) in the waters off the Maluku Islands, Indonesia.

Cambodia Cares for its Pangolins: Rehabilitation Center Establshed

According to the Conservation International, a new facility, the Pangolin Rehabilitation Center (PRC)  has opened in Cambodia to provide specialist care to the kingdom’s endangered pangolins. The facility was established to rehabilitate injured pangolins rescued from hunters throughout Cambodia – an increasing and serious threat to the survival of this magnificent and little known species.

Opened with a Buddhist blessing and ceremony, the PRC was created through a joint initiative between Conservation International (CI) and the Forestry Administration, (within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Royal Government of Cambodia to bolster conservation efforts for this species. The PRC is located at the Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) in Takeo Province and staffed by a well-trained and dedicated team who care for the pangolins until they are ready for release back into the wild.

The center also aims to raise awareness of the plight of the pangolin and to do so have been fitted with information signs about the species, the wildlife trade and how the public can help.  There are already six pangolins under its care, which are all victims of the wildlife trade and are receiving treatment for a range of injuries. These animals were rescued by FA rangers working in the Cardamom Mountains with support from local communities.

Annette Olsson, Scientific Technical Advisor of CI’s Greater Mekong program said, ‘The launch of this facility today gives rescued pangolins hope. Pangolins are often transported in very cruel ways by traffickers to avoid detection by authorities. Sometimes they are kept for days in plastic bags, without food or water,  hidden in small spaces. It’s common for the animals to die in transit, or after rescue, due to these terrible practices.’

In Cambodia trafficked pangolins are typically kept alive as they fetch the best price on the market live. But as they are hunted using snares and hunting dogs, many confiscated pangolins have severe injuries that require professional medical treatment before they can be released back to the wild. The Cambodian government cares deeply for the kingdom’s wildlife and have partnered with CI to create this facility to help to conserve this important species so that they remain in our forests now and forever as a special part of our unique biodiversity.

The PRC represents one part of the initiative to conserve pangolins in Cambodia. The FA also employs rangers to carry out forest patrols and enforce forestry law in areas known to be inhabited by pangolins. FA, in collaboration with CI, also has had a community engagement program in place for over a decade with various communities who live near the pangolin’s habitat. We are working to provide sustainable, alternative livelihoods in return for the communities’ assistance in forest and species protection.

Pangolins, or "scaly ant-eaters," are covered with protective, overlapping scales, and can quickly roll up into a tight ball when threatened. They are nocturnal and sleep in hollow trees or burrows emerging at night to forage for ants and termites, using their extraordinarily long and sticky tongue. Half of the world’s species of pangolins are found in Asia where they have been hunted heavily to very low numbers.

The Sunda pangolin, Manis javanica, is the only species found in Cambodia and is now very rare due to hunting pressures to supply the international illegal market. ‘The greatest threat to the survival of Asian pangolins in the wild is illegal hunting for meat and scales used for luxury food, tonics and traditional medicines. Hundreds and thousands of pangolins are hunted throughout the region. The price for a live pangolin is high, often more than $100 USD, and is often an irresistible incentive for poor hunters and farmers in spite of the international and national ban on hunting of this species.’ Said Mr. Ratanapich.

 

The Sunda pangolin is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in CITES Appendix II, with a ‘zero’ trade quota, which bans all commercial trade in specimens removed from the wild. In Cambodia, the species is currently protected as a ‘Rare’ species under the Forestry Law, 2002 (MAFF Prakas 20 on Classification and List of Wildlife Species from 2007). The PRC is the second such official and formally recognized pangolin rehabilitation facility in Cambodia. The other is the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) in Siem Reap Province which has been in place for a several years, which cares for injured pangolins from the northern part of Cambodia. 

A government taskforce, the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team has been created to crack down on illegal wildlife activities and trade. Wildlife is protected throughout Cambodia and it is illegal to eat, kill or sell wild animals in any way. Pangolins conservation is on the agenda of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Pangolin Specialist Group. SavePangolins is a non-profit website that serves as a resource for the general public to learn about pangolins.

 According to the Conservation International, a new facility, the Pangolin Rehabilitation Center (PRC) opened earlier in Cambodia to provide specialist care to the kingdom’s endangered pangolins. The facility was established to rehabilitate injured pangolins rescued from hunters throughout Cambodia – an increasing and serious threat to the survival of this magnificent and little known species.

Sign the Pledge to Protect Nature

Reproduced below is the mail from none other than Dr. Peter Seligman, Chairman & CEO of Conservation International, USA. It is about signing of the 'pledge to protect the planet that provides'.

Conservation of nature is not only an issue, instead it is the absolute necessity. In this perspective, then, what Seligman and his colleagues do and say, and  similar other experts working in the area of conservation say, all their views are important, in fact, most important !!! Because they are talking about the only place ,the Earth, we have to live.

We ought to have been protecting the Earth with seriousness, and very fast. Alas! we are not, and the nature suffers greatly at our hands, and we need to check it. The masses have to rise to the need of  conserving nature!

That is why the letter of Dr. Seligman is important to everyone of us!

And I reproduce it for every word of it is important. Conservation International is one of the few global organisations known for its multiple approach to conservation involving scientific research, explorations through expeditions, cultural interactions, etc.

I request everyone else who reads this post to read Dr Seligman's letter  below and sign the pledge on the link below:

http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/R?i=YgZL2b0zG4Pl39nWmZewHQ
  
                                         **************

Dear Zaka,

It doesn't matter where you come from, what you do for a living, or
what you love most in life - you need nature.

I know you already understand this. That's why you are engaged with
Conservation International. Our challenge is to convince others of
this simple, vital truth - and I am writing today to ask you, if
you are willing, to join me in doing so. We need your help and your
voice.

Our planet provides us with everything. But poll after poll shows that
people do not understand that protecting nature isn't "just another
issue" - it's the defining challenge of our time. And if we fail
to rise to the challenge . . . well, we're pretty much cooked. Can you
help us turn the tide? I am convinced WE NEED to launch a movement.

It's simple: Go to PlanetThatProvides.org and sign the pledge to
protect the planet that provides.  Then ask your friends, family and
neighbors to join you.  Let's get the ball rolling.

http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/R?i=YgZL2b0zG4Pl39nWmZewHQ

If we do nothing - if we fail to make nature a central issue in
our development decisions - our families and our descendants
will not inherit the beautiful and vibrant earth that has sustained
all of us. The numbers are stark: Each year, we are adding 80 million
people. We will reach 9 billion in 40 years. We will need twice the
clean water, twice the food. And our planet is already stressed with
challenged fisheries. Depleted water supplies. Disappearing species
and changing weather patterns.

If we do not come together, we will mow down the forests that serve as
our water factories. We will destroy the wetlands and mangroves that
shelter us from storms. The fisheries that feed billions will dwindle.
The sense of peace and place that we get from our natural world will
slowly slip away.

This is why today, more than at any time in the past, we need a
movement, a commitment, to work hand in hand with people everywhere to
value and to protect what nature provides.

I signed the pledge. Please join me. Together, we can shift the tide.

http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/R?i=HmQ7c3k9Vi2U47duJPTDlQ

Thank you so much for your support.

Sincerely,

Peter Seligmann
Chairman and CEO

Draw A Creature Of Your Imagination and Win A Prize

Do you love drawing and painting?

                         

SpectacularConehead Katydid  (Loboscelis bacatus) discoverd during Surinam expedition

(Copyright: Conservation International)

If yes, you must have noticed life forms of different shapes, sizes with different physical features.


What is the extent of your imagination ? Can you imagine an invertebrate or a vertebrate animal of unique features that you believe does not exist today.


While you identify a creature of your imagination, first identify its class and remember it should not violate basic features of that class, for example, an insect must have three pairs of legs, a mammal must have hair.


Draw, paint and submit the picture, and we will publish it on this blog, and request our readers to identify if it resembles any currently known animal of the particular class.


The partcipant will retain the copyright of the Artwork and shall be free to use it.


Only original work is to be submitted alongwith personal details: Name, Address, Contact Phone/Mobile, Certificate: "the art work submitted is original", and signed.


A rupee two thousand five hundred (US $ 50) worth of Books on wildlife/animals/plants will be given by the blogger, as a token of appreciation for the effort, to the best of artworks, selected by readers.


Entry Deadline: 31 August, 2012.

Snow leopard project in Bhutan makes progress

The first ever snow leopard prey survey in Bhutan’s newest national park has revealed interesting footage of  scent-marking by sub-adult snow leopard; besides footage of other species have also been recorded, like Tibetan wolf, threatened Himalayan serow, musk deer and a healthy population of blue sheep, the main food source for snow leopards.

This is the first pictorial evidence that snow leopards are thriving in Wangchuck Centennial Park, a vital snow leopard corridor between Jigme Dorji National Park in the West and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in the East. Field biologists from the Government of Bhutan and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) captured over 10,000 images during the camera trap survey in Wangchuck Centennial Park.

The survey was focused on snow leopard prey species, but in addition to snow leopard images, they also captured images and footage of Tibetan wolf, wild dog, red fox, blue sheep, Himalayan serow, musk deer, Pika, pheasants and several birds of prey.

“The findings are phenomenal as these are the first snow leopard images recorded in Wangchuck Centennial Park,” said WWF’s Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, who led the survey team. “It suggests that the network of protected areas and corridors is helping to link local snow leopard populations, which will be invaluable to ensure long-term persistence of snow leopards in the region.”

Snow leopards are elusive and endangered, with around 4,500-7,500 in the wild. Bhutan is the only country on Earth where the habitat of snow leopards and tigers intersect. It’s unknown how many exist there, but it’s critical to find out as threats are mounting – from retaliatory killing from herders, loss of habitat to farmers and poaching for their pelts. And then there’s climate change.

Warming at high elevations in the Himalayas is causing treelines to ascend and isolating snow leopard populations. Under a high emission scenario, as much as 30 percent of their range could be lost. Their ability to move higher is limited by oxygen availability.

The overall goal of the survey is to determine how many snow leopards are there in Wangchuck, and where they are existing, in order to prioritize the best areas for conservation.

"The snow leopard images from the park show the incredible richness of wildlife thriving in Wangchuck Centennial Park" and this is a strong point that the park must be supported by donor agencies for conservation, said Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan. “For snow leopard conservation in Bhutan, Wangchuck Centennial Park acts as the critical linkage between Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Dorji National Park, thereby ensuring the functionality of the northern Bhutan conservation complex.”

The Government of Bhutan and WWF have partnered to co-manage Wangchuck Centennial Park since it was designated as Bhutan’s tenth national park in 2008. With 244 vascular plant species, 23 mammal species and 134 bird species, the park is rich in biodiversity.

The dedication of the Wangchuck Centennial Park resulted in Bhutan having more than half its land under protection. The Government of Bhutan and WWF work together on species conservation, climate change studies, monitoring, patrolling and community conservation projects.

“WWF has a special commitment to Wangchuck Centennial Park, especially because we were invited to co-manage it with the government in 2009,” said Shubash Lohani of WWF’s Eastern Himalayas program. “It was the first time Bhutan entrusted an entity other than government to co-manage a protected area.”

Expedition to Suriname Finds New Species

The crown jewels of earth, in the form of varied biological life, no matter how small or big, form a wealth that no one can recreate. Then, if a scientific expedition of three weeks duration to three remote sites along Kutari and Sipaliwini rivers near village Kwamalasumutu in southwest Suriname yield a documented list of nearly 1300 species, including 46 new species is an achievement that any biologist or a nature lover will appreciate.

Carried under the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) of the Conservation International, the expedition comprised a collaborative team of 53 scientists, indigenous Trio people, students who documented status of species  which included plants, animals, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, small and large mammals, katydids, dragonflies, damselflies, aquatic beetles and dung beetles. Suriname has the world's last pristine tropical forests. RAP surveys carried by CI provide a quick assessment of the unique biodiversity of an unexplored area.

CI scientist and RAP Director Dr. Trond Larsen said, "Our team was privileged to explore one of the last remaining areas of vast, unroaded wilderness in the world. As a scientist, it is thrilling to study these remote forests where countless new discoveries await, especially since we believe that protecting these landscapes while they remain pristine provides perhaps the greatest opportunity for maintaining globally important biodiversity and the ecosystems people depend upon for generations to come."

The findings of the expedition were recently released for press by CI; the release entitled, "An armoured catfish, a cowboy frog....in southwest Suriname" provides details of  expedition and some interesting species and their pictures which are reproduced below alongwith their links.    

Cowboy Frog (Hypsiboas sp.) was discovered low on a small branch during a night survey in a swampy area of the Koetari River. The main distinguishing characteristic of this frog is the lack of a certain characteristic. It looks quite similar to "the Convict Treefrog" Hypsiboas calcaratus but lacks the black and white lateral stripes of H. calcaratus.
                                                                   



Pac-Man Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta), a voracious sit-and-wait predator, with an exceptionally wide mouth, can swallow prey nearly as large as its own body, including birds, mice and other frogs. One researcher using a radio collar to track birds found her study animal (and collar) in the belly of this frog!

A new species, the Armored Catfish (Pseudacanthicus sp.) is a catfish whose armor of external bony plates is covered with spines to defend itself from giant piranhas which inhabit the same waters. Only a handful of Pseudacanthicus specimens are known from Suriname, and this is the first from the Sipaliwini



  

Crayola Katydid (Vestria sp.) known as Crayola katydids because of their striking coloration. They are the only katydids known to employ chemical defenses, which are effective at repelling bird and mammalian predators.

The Monkey Frog (Phyllomedusa tomoptema) is a species of tree frogs, these frogs are indicative of healthy pristine rain forest

While the discovery of new species is an exciting outcome of these surveys, the RAP scientists also observed a variety of other fascinating species, many of which are found only in Suriname or represent entirely new records for the region. 

Great Horned Beetle (Coprophanaeus lancifer) is a massive dung beetle the size of a tangerine, weighing over 6 grams. It is metallic blue and purple. This species is highly unusual in that both males and females possess long horns on the head, which are used as weapons against each other during battle.

Spectacular Conehead Katydid (Loboscelis bacatus) was previously only known from Amazonian Peru. The katydid has fluorescent green and pink coloring. The sighting in southern Suriname significantly extends its known range. It is predator of insects and snails, and feeds on seeds and fruits.

The expedition in particular proved to be a paradise for entomologists , with spectacular and unique insects everywhere. "I didn't even have to look for ants because they jumped out at me", said Dr. Leeanne Alonso, a former CI RAP Director who is now with Global Wildlife Conservation. There was equally impressive and amazing diversity of birds and mammals in the region.

A leaf beetle (Stilodes sedecimmaculata) found only in Guyana shield. Its bright colour is a reflection of toxic materials stored from plants it consumes to warn off predators

During the survey, scientists also observed extensive cave petroglyphs near the village of Kwamalasamutu, in a site known as Werehpai, which CI-Suriname is working with local communities to preserve and promote for ecotourism. Discovered as recently as 2000, the Werehpai site is the oldest known human settlement located in southern Suriname. Recent investigations and radiocarbon dates at the site indicate that the first sign of inhabitation was five-thousand years ago; they offer the most concentrated set of petroglyphs ever recorded in the Amazonian basin.

 

CI-Suriname Executive Director Annette Tjon Sie Fat, whose team commissioned the survey and will incorporate the research into conservation planning said, "The Kwamalasamutu area's pristine nature and cultural heritage make it a unique destination for more adventurous tourists, who enjoy trekking through the dense rainforest to discover flora and fauna. CI-Suriname and the Trio are hoping to further develop a niche market ecotourism site here, while the recommendations from the RAP will help the community to manage and maintain the 18,000 ha sanctuary they created around the region's incredible Werehpai petroglyph caves."

The RAP team and CI President Russ Mittermeier will be heading again to Southern Suriname to continue the exploration of this pristine and globally important region.

Sea Turtle Baby Boom Breaks Records

According to a press release entitled "Sea Turtle Baby Boom on Turtle Islands Breaks 28 Years Record" from  Conservation International (CI), more than one million green turtle (Chelonia mydas) eggs were laid last year in Baguan Island of Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi, Phillipines, achieving an all-time high since recording of nesting started in 1984.

A total of 14,220 green turtle nests were recorded in Baguan in 2011, breaking the previous record of 12,311 nests in 1995. The 2011 figures translate to 2,844 nesting green turtles and 1.44 million turtle eggs laid. Green turtles are classified as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

                                           Copyright: Conservation International/Photo by Rina Bernabe

A female green turtle lays around 100 eggs per nesting, and hatchlings emerge in 9-12 weeks. 

The release points out “1.44 million eggs is an astounding number for a nesting beach that’s only a little over 1 kilometer in length. This presents great hope for boosting green turtle populations,” having said by Romeo Trono, CI Philippines Country Executive Director. “With an average of 90% hatching success and 1% survival rate up to sexual maturity, Baguan in 2011 alone could contribute up to 13,000 to the adult turtle population.”

The 36-hectare Baguan in southern Philippines is one of the nine islands of the Turtle IslandsHeritage Protected Area (TIHPA), a unique protected area jointly managed by two countries: Malaysia and the Philippines. It is made up of six islands of the Philippines’ Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, where Baguan is located, and three islands of Sabah’s Turtle Islands Park (TIP).

Figures from the DENR show that since the previous high of 12,311 turtle nests recorded in 1995, Baguan’s nesting records have been declining and dropped to as low as just over 4,000 nests in 2003. Poaching by foreign fishermen, egg harvesting by local communities for food and trade, destruction and disturbance of habitats through illegal fishing methods and weak law enforcement were identified as the causes of the decline in the egg production and sea turtle population in the sanctuary.

“The increasing nest numbers show that when turtles are protected on their nesting beaches and in the water for long enough, they will recover,”  according to Dr. Bryan Wallace, Director of Science, for the Marine Flagship Species Program at CI. “The Turtle Islands are a globally important area for green turtles, especially for the West Pacific population, because of the relatively high abundance present and because of increasing protections for turtles in the area.”

The Conservation International has been working with the Philippines’ DENR and the local government as well the Malaysian Sabah Parks since 2007 to advise and implement marine conservation strategies in the region, including: setting up of the protected area management board, formulation of a ten-year management plan, and delineating 1,200 hectares around Baguan as strict protection zone or no take areas.

Law enforcement in Baguan was also strengthened by providing trainings to park wardens, law enforcers and community volunteers and stepping up patrolling efforts. The Philippine Turtle Islands’ enforcement team also includes officers and personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Marines deployed to the area.

“These partnerships with other agencies like the Coast Guard and Marines provide a big boost to law enforcement efforts in the Turtle Islands,” said Dr. Mundita Lim, director of DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. “We also enjoy a good working relationship with our Sabah counterparts in charge of managing their side of the Turtle Islands. Turtles nest throughout the entire area, regardless of political boundaries. That is also the approach we are using in managing these islands through productive partnerships.”

“The work that we are doing in Turtle Islands is an important contribution to the overall health of the Coral Triangle,” said DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, emphasizing the Turtle Islands as a conservation priority not only for the Philippines and Malaysia but for all the other countries in the region. “If the Turtles Islands are not protected, it can have serious implications to the whole region’s turtle population and marine ecosystem.”

Copyright: Conservation International/Photo by Rina Bernabe

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary currently not open to tourists on opening can be a source of income to help support conservation.

Dr. Nicolas Pilcher, director of Sabah-based Marine Research Foundation and Co-Chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, noted that bold protection measures such as the establishment of Baguan no-take zone and the complete protection status of the Turtle Islands Park in Sabah had been instrumental in ensuring a safe haven for turtles while other beaches in the region were being lost to coastal development.

“Indeed, the combined turtle stocks from the Philippine and Malaysian Turtle islands, which share genetic similarities, is the single largest and most stable population of green turtles in all of Southeast Asia, and is of paramount importance in ensuring the long-term survival of the population," Pilcher added.

An average of 30 to 35 green turtles nest on Baguan’s shores every night, with totals increasing to as many as 140 during the peak nesting season of July to September. With each nesting, a sea turtle lays around 100 eggs and nests as many as five times within one nesting season. Only green turtles nest in Baguan, though surrounding reefs and water  also serve as development and feeding habitats of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Conservation initiatives in Baguan are partially supported by the Global Marine Division of Conservation International and the Coral Triangle Support Partnership funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

“The hatchlings that emerge from the Turtle Islands still face great risks throughout their lives as they journey through the ocean, but at least here in the Turtle Islands, we are determined to provide them with a good start,” according to CI Philippines Country Executive Director.