Acting Globally: SWOT Small Grants 2019

Since 2006, SWOT’s small grants have helped field-based partners around the world to realize their research and conservation goals. To date, 93 grants have been awarded to 67 applicants in more than 45 countries and territories for work addressing three key themes: (1) networking and capacity building, (2) science, and (3) education and outreach. The following are brief overviews of our 2019 grantees. Visit www.SeaTurtleStatus.org/grants for application instructions and a list of all past SWOT grantees.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: © Casa Congo, © Janie Reavis, © Haiti Ocean Project, © Turtle Foundation, © ProTECTOR, Inc.

Arizona State University (U.S.A.)

Bycatch is a global threat to sea turtles and other marine species, and many efforts have been dedicated to mitigating bycatch by industrial-scale fisheries. Less attention has been focused on small-scale fisheries, even though many small fisheries have high rates of bycatch. Janie Reavis and collaborators at Arizona State University are researching novel bycatch reduction technologies (BRTs) for small-scale fisheries. Their aim is to decrease bycatch rates without negatively affecting fisheries, which is especially important in developing areas. Janie will use a 2019 SWOT grant to test and develop the efficacy of new BRTs that use sensory cues to discourage turtles from interacting with fishing gear. Her results will be applicable to small-scale net fisheries in Baja California, Mexico, and potentially elsewhere.

Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society (Jamaica)

The sea turtle monitoring program of the Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society (BBFFS) was established in 2006 to reduce the poaching of nesting females and their eggs. The monitoring program includes nightly patrols of Bluefields’ two main nesting beaches, tagging of nesting females, and education and outreach activities within the community. The wardens’ nightly presence at the nesting beaches provides a deterrent to poachers while also allowing them to collect data on the nesting activities taking place. Collected data are shared with the National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica’s environmental regulatory agency. The BBFFS will use a 2019 SWOT grant to continue its beach monitoring efforts and improve communication and data sharing with nearby organizations.

Casa Congo (Nicaragua)

Río Escalante–Chacocente Wildlife Refuge lies on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua and harbors one of two beaches in the country where thousands of olive ridley turtles come to lay their eggs in a phenomenon known as an arribada. The refuge also provides nesting habitat for three other species of sea turtles—green, hawksbill, and leatherback. Located within and around Chacocente are 17 rural communities that are economically dependent on the extraction of fish and turtle eggs, despite the government’s efforts to halt poaching activities. Casa Congo facilitates community-based conservation in the area, running projects and programs alongside community members, researchers, interns, and volunteers. A 2019 SWOT grant will be used to construct and maintain a hatchery that not only will protect sea turtle nests but also will serve as an education tool for youth in the local communities.

Equilibrio Azul (Ecuador)

Puerto López beach on Ecuador’s Pacific coast is one of the few index nesting beaches for the critically endangered east Pacific population of hawksbill sea turtles. In the past few years, this nesting habitat has been heavily affected by an increase in construction on and around the beach. With the weight of its 12 years of nesting data, Equilibrio Azul will use a 2019 SWOT grant to inform the local community and government about the importance of conserving and recuperating the beaches that provide vital nesting habitat for these critically endangered turtles. Ultimately, Equilibrio Azul aims to create a sea turtle conservation zone on approximately 800 meters (one-half mile) of developed beach.

Haiti Ocean Project (Haiti)

Haiti is possibly one of the biggest exploiters of sea turtles in the Caribbean region, yet little data exist on Haiti’s artisanal fisheries. Basic ecological data on Haiti’s sea turtle populations are also lacking. The Haiti Ocean Project is a marine conservation, education, and research organization located in southwest Haiti that educates youth, fishermen, and their communities about their marine environment. With a 2019 SWOT grant, Haiti Ocean Project will study the rates of directed take and bycatch of sea turtles in the artisanal fisheries of the Nippes and Grand’Anse regions and will assess the extent of local fishers’ knowledge about sea turtles and fishery regulations. This study will help assess the scale of the threat that artisanal fisheries pose to Haitian sea turtle populations and will identify gaps in the knowledge of fishermen and the Haitian public that could be targeted by future education programs.

ProTECTOR Inc. (Thailand)

Although it is confirmed that green and hawksbill turtles nest in the Gulf of Thailand, there is little up-to-date information on the state of sea turtle nesting in the gulf, and currently no coordinated efforts by government or local communities have been undertaken to remedy this lack. ProTECTOR will use a 2019 SWOT grant to establish a Gulf of Thailand Nesting Recovery Network (GoTNRN), starting by holding capacity-building workshops in three communities in the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Talu, Thap Sakae, and Dom Sam Ram). At those workshops, participants will discuss shared goals, standard methods, government assistance, data reporting, funding development, and expansion of the network into other areas. Through its efforts, ProTECTOR hopes both to increase awareness of sea turtles in the region and to create future opportunities to gather new sea turtle data throughout Thailand.

RASTOMA (Cameroon, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe)

Plastic pollution, as well as the degradation of feeding and reproductive habitats, are causes of sea turtle mortality worldwide. To mitigate this threat to the five species of sea turtles that inhabit the coastal waters of Central Africa (green, leatherback, olive ridley, hawksbill, and loggerhead), RASTOMA (Réseau des Acteurs de la Sauvegarde des Tortues Marines en Afrique Centrale) has adopted a “Beaches without Plastic” plan. The organization will use a 2019 SWOT grant to help reduce the impact of plastic on sea turtles by holding workshops and outreach campaigns in Cameroon, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The workshops will focus on repurposing plastic waste into goods that can help communities generate income and raise awareness about plastic pollution.

Turtle Foundation (Indonesia)

After visiting a beach on the west coast of Pulau Sipura in the Mentawai Islands and discovering the remains of slaughtered leatherback turtles and poached nests, the Turtle Foundation decided to take action. Little is known about the northeast Indian Ocean subpopulation of leatherbacks, which is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List. With help from a 2019 SWOT grant, the Turtle Foundation aims to address this data gap using satellite tracking of female leatherbacks that nest on Pulau Sipura. By following the turtles’ movements, the project aims to learn valuable information about migratory routes and about inter- and postnesting behavior that will be used to develop more efficient conservation strategies.

AZA-SAFE Grant Recipients

In 2019, SWOT partnered with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and its Sea Turtle SAFE (Save Animals from Extinction) program to make six additional grants available for projects related to the conservation of two of the top global priorities for sea turtle conservation—eastern Pacific leatherbacks and Kemp’s ridleys—throughout their respective ranges. The projects on this spread were awarded 2019 SWOT grants thanks to the AZA-SAFE program.

Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcalli
ZIHUATANEJO, IXTAPA, AND LA BARRITA, GUERRERO, MEXICO

Several sea turtle populations that nest along the Pacific coast of Mexico are declining because of human activity. In particular, the eastern Pacific leatherback is affected. The decline has motivated several communities to create sea turtle rescue and conservation camps that aim to protect these endangered animals. However, many of these projects fail because they lack government and financial support. Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcalli will use a 2019 SWOT grant to develop a collaborative regional network and action plan that will include environmental education programs, training opportunities, and data collection protocols. Members of the network will be nonprofits, schools, local businesses, fishermen, local government agencies, and media. By sharing experiences, methods, and support, the project aims to create more sustainable conservation efforts in local communities along Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Center for Environmental Management and Development (CIMAD)
BAHÍA SOLANO, CHOCÓ, COLOMBIA

To fill gaps in knowledge about the critically endangered eastern Pacific leatherback population, CIMAD has spearheaded research and community engagement efforts along the Pacific coasts of Panama and Colombia. Through the project, CIMAD aims to increase understanding of leatherback nesting locations, identify priority conservation areas, and attract local and global attention. CIMAD will use a 2019 SWOT grant to train community members to conduct nightly patrols and record sea turtle nesting activity, and it will use funds to financially support beach monitors. In addition, CIMAD will spread awareness about the project and connect with Colombian agencies and communities to increase awareness and support for their work.

Instituto de Fomento Pesquero
REGIÓN DE ARICA Y PARINACOTA, CHILE

Incidental capture in small-scale longline fishing gear is the main threat to the green, loggerhead, olive ridley, and leatherback turtles that inhabit northern Chile’s coasts. Using sea turtles as flagship species, the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero will use a 2019 SWOT grant to conduct workshops, lectures, and events that will educate youth, fishermen, and communities of northern Chile and instill a deeper understanding and dedication to marine conservation. Specifically, fishermen will be educated about methods to minimize sea turtle bycatch and mortality, and local communities will be educated about sea turtle biology and about ways to protect sea turtles’ critical habitats.

JUSTSEA Foundation
VALLE DEL CAUCA Y NARIÑO, COLOMBIA

Fisheries bycatch is considered the greatest threat to sea turtle populations globally. Although many efforts have sought to understand and minimize sea turtle bycatch, active participation of stakeholders in the process is lacking, especially in developing countries. To address this issue in Colombia, JUSTSEA began a project in 2016 to evaluate the nature, frequency, and impacts of fishing interactions with leatherback turtles. The project also will establish collaborative relationships with fishermen to promote data sharing and implementation of fishing practices that minimize sea turtle interactions and increase sea turtle survival after release. With a 2019 SWOT grant, JUSTSEA will lead workshops to raise awareness of leatherback turtle bycatch within the fishing community and will continue its collaborative fisheries observer program.

Sea Turtle, Inc.
TEXAS, U.S.A.

Sea Turtle, Inc., is a nonprofit sea turtle hospital in south Texas that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured sea turtles for release back into the wild, educates the public, and assists with conservation efforts for marine turtles. Kemp’s ridley conservation is a priority during nesting season, which coincides with peak tourist visitation on south Texas beaches that are open to vehicular access and are also home to the only nesting ground for this critically endangered species. Public awareness about the presence of sea turtle activity during the nesting season is critical to effectively protect nesting and hatching turtles. Using a 2019 SWOT grant, Sea Turtle, Inc. will place bilingual signs at vehicular beach access points to prevent sea turtle fatalities and increase nesting reports from beachgoers.

Universidad Autónoma del Carmen
ISLA ARENA, CAMPECHE, MEXICO

Isla Arena is a small fishing community on the Yucatán Peninsula whose beaches provide nesting habitat for hawksbill turtles and whose marine zone is a hotspot where green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, and loggerhead turtles all coincide during their lifecycles. Historically, local inhabitants of the island consumed turtle eggs and meat, and more recently they began to harvest eggs and capture adults to sell, illegally, to mainland communities. A local women-run nonprofit called Fileteras del Petén aims to combat turtle consumption through beach monitoring, environmental education, and outreach to promote more sustainable practices in this small community. The Universidad Autónoma del Carmen will use a 2019 SWOT grant to support Fileteras del Petén in organizing workshops and outreach activities and strengthening its sea turtle monitoring project.