The turtles are coming!

Loggerhead in Sal (photo Filipa Pires)

Hopefully soon we will start to see an increase in the number of loggerheads arriving in the waters around Cabo Verde.  In a 'normal' season loggerheads will migrate from their feeding areas off the west coast of Africa and make their way to the beaches where they were born.  Nesting should start sometime in June, but last year we were suprised by one or two turtles that decided to nest in late April/early May.  We will be keeping an eye out for these early ones, but in the meantime, as one windsurfer told us recently "suddenly the sea is FULL of turtles!"

Shark finning in Mindelo, Cape Verde

A few months ago we wrote about deliberate targetting of turtles by overseas fishing fleets, who blatantly package & label the meat for export to Asian markets.

Now it is very distressing to hear that shark fins are being landed in Mindelo in full view of the authorities. 

Francesca Tosarelli is a photographer who witnessed this taking place earlier this year.  Ms Tosarelli writes "The European Union has an agreement with Cape Verde to fish highly migratory species, namely tuna. But Spanish and Portuguese vessels actually target sharks because of the high value of their fins on the Asian markets.

Sharks are top predators and removing them has effects on the entire food chain in the area. Smaller fish that would prefer to be in the open ocean stay close to shore to find refuge from the sharks. Those smaller species that have disappeared mysteriously are what locals have caught for centuries. The pressure created by sharks is now so weak that fish which used to shelter by shore now freely roam the open ocean. Local fishermen can’t reach their target species unless they go far out with their little boats (which can have lethal consequences) and shoals are now in reach of international vessels, which can vacuum them up without having to take the risk of fishing them illegally within the 12 mile exclusion zone. "

She also reports that 12,000 tons of shark products were landed in Mindelo in 2011.

Shark fins being landed in Mindelo -Photo by Francesca Tosarelli

For the sake of the environment and the people here who make their living from the sea it is time for the authorities to wake up and stop this illegal pillaging of Cabo Verde's natural resources.

To read more and see more photos click here.

New scientific papers on turtles in Cabo Verde

We are delighted that two new papers about turtles have been included in the latest publication from the Zoological Society of Cabo Verde.

The first is regarding Olive Ridley turtles, with a contribution from SOS Tartarugas.  They don't nest here but in-water sightings programme has recorded quite a few seen by dive centres and fishing boats.  Sadly, the only Olive Ridleys we have seen have been those caught in fishing nets or in another kind of distress, the strangest of which was this one with a very deformed shell.

The second paper is the culmination of work undertaken by SOS Tartarugas in Maio in 2009 which included surveying all the beaches as well as education and outreach activities.  We hope that this may be of some use to the new environmental association, the Maio Biodiversity Foundation, which will be starting a turtle protection campaign there this season.

Please visit the Zoological Society's website to read the papers.

Shark specialist needed

We are looking for someone with experience of working with sharks.  See our job blog for more information.

Ecotourism could save turtles in Cabo Verde

In an article published in national newspaper, Expresso das Ilhas, our colleagues Natura 2000, who work in Boa Vista, suggest that the problems of hunting of turtles could be solved through ecotourism and the development of the country.  The full article can be read here. 

First cruise ship passengers to visit Sal love turtles!

On Thursday 1 December we were very pleased to be invited to give a lecture on the Island Sky the first cruise ship to dock in Sal since the port at Palmeira was extended.

The small (for a cruise ship anyway) ship, operated by Noble Caledonia has a capacity of only 114 passengers and the majority of the 80 or so on board came to hear about the turtles in Sal.

The presentation covered biology and life cycle, threats to turtles worldwide as well as information about the situation on Sal and the rest of Cape Verde.

The cruise shippers were a wonderful audience, asking lots of great questions and they were obviously moved by the plight of the turtles, with one guest even suggesting that they make a collection to help the cause.

Naturalist Guy, Cruise Director Andrea, the Captain & Emma

It was a great night for our small team that still remains and it was hard to leave the ship as they set sail for the Ascension Islands directly after the talk.  I think we can safely say there are lots more turtle advocates after that night!

Turtle freed from fishing debris on Sal

If ever there was a prime example of the problems faced by marine life from fishing debris being thrown overboard or cut loose by fishermen, this is one.

The vast majority of the rubbish that we collect on the east coast of Sal is discarded fishing line and plastic items such as bottles and other containers that are used as floats by fishermen.  Turtles and other animals get entangled in this rubbish as it drifts through our oceans and without a good Samaritan to free them have little hope of surviving.

This turtle was found by chance on the rocks near Igrijinha last week as a holidaymaker called Judith passed by.  The net was entangled in her back flippers and the plastic container made it impossible for her to dive or swim, she had been thrown up on the rocks by the waves.  Fortunately Judith was able to remove the net and floats and stressed and tired the poor turtle managed to crawl across the rocks until a big wave came and took her out to sea.

 

This turtle is not our usual loggerhead which nests here, but is a juvenile Olive Ridley, a type of turtle that we don't get to see very often but is present in the sea around Sal.

Really nice work, Judith!