[Coral-List] Sea turtle conservation in Kenya

[Casper van de Geer]

Dear Coral Listers,

Local Ocean Trust is a marine conservation organisation based in Watamu, on
the coast of Kenya. We work to promote sustainable marine resource
management, teach thousands of children about the environment and focus our
conservation efforts on sea turtles.

Many turtles here are caught by artisanal fishermen and although the
penalty for killing a turtle is very severe, there is little chance of
being caught and so poaching is a serious threat. Kenya's waters are home
to green, hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback and loggerhead turtles. The
beaches that we patrol and monitor are nesting grounds for green and olive
ridley turtles.

Our Bycatch Release Programme has been operating since 1998 and it has, by
working very closely with the local fishermen, managed to conduct over
13,000 turtle rescues. All turtles are measured, weighed, photographed and
tagged. We have managed to tag more than 6,000 turtles. Our tagged turtles
have been observed in the Seychelles and the Chagos archipelago. Through
this programme we have also encountered turtles that were tagged in the
Seychelles and the Comoros. It is a very exciting programme that has
provided some incredible insight into behaviour of juvenile turtles, growth
rates, nesting behaviour and has been a powerful instrument in raising
environmental awareness amongst local fishermen and the wider community.

Local Ocean Trust is currently competing in an online competition to win
funding that will keep the Bycatch Release Programme going throughout 2016.
Part of the funding will also go towards mangrove restoration efforts in
and around Watamu.

I would like to ask you to help us by participating in this online
competition. Please have a look at the projects listed (there are 7) and
cast your vote. Hopefully, since we are the only marine based project in
the competition, you will vote for us! Voting takes 15 seconds and no
personal information is recorded.

The competition can be found on our Facebook page (Local Ocean Trust) or
via the following link:
http://www.outdoorconservation.eu/project-voting-category.cfm?catid=3

Thank you all for your time and consideration!

Casper van de Geer
Manager - Local Ocean Trust
www.watamuturtles.com