Conservation

Marine & Wildlife Conservation

Every turtle species that inhabits the African coastline faces pressure from humans, and their survival is under threat. Critically endangered hawksbill and endangered green turtles, plus vulnerable olive ridleys visit our island. We aim to establish projects that address the threats and put measures in place to protect and conserve our marine life. In Mozambique, these are the organisations making waves in marine conservation:

Sustainable social & economic solutions

We need to tackle the social and economic issues that feed into our ability to ensure the conservation of the area. Our presence alone has already deterred illegal fishers from coming to the island., however, just being present is not enough. We must find a sustainable solution, that will have a lasting, positive effect on both human and animals inhabitants, long after we are gone.

Whenever an opportunity has presented itself, we have worked on a strategy to develop ideas into sustainable projects that will provide the local population with education, an alternative source of income and nutrition.

Threats on the Island

Our marine ecosystems are facing more threats than ever before. It is imperative that we take measures to protect marine animals and their habitats. World leaders have been called upon to ensure 30% of our oceans are listed as Marine Protected Areas by 2030, which will be a huge stride toward helping safeguard these vital ecosystems from numerous threats, if governed sufficiently.

Poaching is a very delicate issue here in Mozambique. Despite turtles being legally protected, many local communities kill turtles for subsistence. With growing human populations and declining natural fish resources, the consumption of turtle meat and harvesting of their eggs is unsustainable.

 

There is also a market for turtle shell products. Hawksbills, in particular, have been hunted for their shells for centuries. This critically endangered species was assigned the highest level of protection in 1997, by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, there is still a black market trade for their shells, which are smuggled to the Far East.

Many of the areas where turtles are killed are so remote, local authorities do not have the resources to enforce the law. 

At least eight million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans each year. This contributes to an estimated five trillion pieces of plastic in surface waters, and at least 14 million tons of microplastics on the ocean floor.

A floating plastic bag is often mistaken for jellyfish or algae, which make up a sizable component of a sea turtle’s diet. When a turtle unwittingly swallows a plastic bag, it can block its intestines, which disrupts the turtle’s ability to feed, leaving them to starve.

Microplastics were found in the guts of every sea turtle, in a study in 2018. The most common plastics found derived from tires, cigarettes, clothing, ropes and fishing nets. It is not yet known what damage is caused to the turtles from microplastics, but it is known that plastic carries chemical toxins, and can affect the turtles buoyancy.

Gillnets, shrimp trawl nets and longline hooks pose a massive threat to turtles. Hundreds of thousands of them are caught as bycatch each year. Both the legal traditional and commercial fisheries, and the illegal, unregulated and unreported fisheries, impact sea turtles.

Sadly, due to lack of funding and government apathy for the marine environment, the scale of the threats from fishing is mostly data deficient.

Conservation Measures

We have a number of conservation actions that we are aiming to achieve through our campaigns.

Supplying local authorities with boats and vehicles to ensure there is a regular presence in remote areas, and to help them carry out law enforcement.

Transforming the poachers into protectors:

  • Locals who, in the past, were turtle harvesters, will be trained as turtle monitors and guides.
  • Maputo Special Reserve will carry out training, emulating their successful community-driven turtle conservation program.
  • Candidates will also be trained to tag turtles, with data collected feeding into international research efforts.
  • A number of turtles will be fitted with satellite tracking devices. Sat tagged turtles can be “adopted” and benefactors will be able to follow them online.

At least eight million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans each year. This contributes to an estimated five trillion pieces of plastic in surface waters, and at least 14 million tons of microplastics on the ocean floor.

A floating plastic bag is often mistaken for jellyfish or algae, which make up a sizable component of a sea turtle’s diet. When a turtle unwittingly swallows a plastic bag, it can block its intestines, which disrupts the turtle’s ability to feed, leaving them to starve.

Microplastics were found in the guts of every sea turtle, in a study in 2018. The most common plastics found derived from tires, cigarettes, clothing, ropes and fishing nets. It is not yet known what damage is caused to the turtles from microplastics, but it is known that plastic carries chemical toxins, and can affect the turtles buoyancy.

All of the projects are made possible by our eco-tourism efforts, which include:

  • Travel packages for groups and individuals. Our interactive travel program will help to create awareness, allowing travellers to get hands-on and be a part of the conservation effort.
  • Scuba diving adventures on the island.
  • Eco-luxury lodges across Africa. A percentage of the profits from bookings is donated to Fire Island Conservation.

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