The sea turtle conservation projects in southern Africa are hugely successful, specifically along the southern coast of Mozambique. It is along this 80 kilometre coastline that 80 per cent of all loggerhead and leatherback turtle nesting sites are found. This is remarkable as the entire Mozambique coast stretches over a distance of nearly 2 500 kilometres. Peace Parks Foundation and Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) are working with partner organisations to protect the nesting sites of these critically endangered sea turtles.
Further down the coast, the The Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation (a Non-Profit and Public Benefit Organisation) is seeing the result of this work as they’ve rescued a significantly higher number of hatchlings over the last few years. Preparing more than 80 per cent of the sea turtles they rescue for release, it means not only is there an increase in nesting females, but also an increase in hatchlings, which indicates a growing sea turtle population overall in the ocean. Over the last decade, more than 700 endangered sea turtles have been rescued, rehabilitated and released: a massive contribution to sea turtle conservation globally.
The largest turtles are fitted with satellite tags so their journeys can be mapped. And the data collected shows that they not only survive, but thrive back in the ocean. The role of sea turtles are very important in keeping the ocean and its beaches healthy. They carry important nutrients from the ocean onto the dunes, which makes them a keystone species – their absence would cause a significant disruption in the health of dunes and all that depend on that environment for survival.
The turtle protection projects are based in the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, which was officially declared a protected area in 2009.
On 17 May of that year, Mr Fernando Sumbana, Mozambique’s former Minister of Tourism, officially opened the headquarters of the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, which lies in the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area (TFCA). Minister Sumbana said during the opening ceremony that this was an important day for conservation in Mozambique and a significant step in the development of this, Africa’s first marine TFCA. His words still remain true, more than a decade later.
The development of Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve got under way when the government of Mozambique declared the 678 km² area marine protected, stretching from Ponta do Ouro in the south to the Maputo River Mouth in Maputo Bay in the north. The Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve forms part of an Environment Protected Area that stretches 18 nautical miles into the Indian Ocean and includes Inhaca Island.
To increase the efficacy of the turtle monitoring programme along this 80km coastline, outposts were constructed at Ponta Milibangalala and Machangulo thanks to further donor support, including that of Van Cleef & Arpels, the Machangulo Group and Turing Foundation.
The Machangulo Group also donated a quad bike to the marine project, thus bettering beach patrols. The Principality of Monaco funded the first year of a coral reef monitoring programme, while US Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored a diving course and equipment for the marine guards.
This shows the value of collaboration and one of the trademarks of success for Peace Parks Foundation.
