Conservation and Protection of the Leatherback Turtle 'Dermochelys coriacea'. Short Title: Net for Turtle. (TRI/92/G51/2101/001) (TRI/92/G51/2101/001)

Project Details & Results

Many leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are trapped in fishing (gill) nets each year off Matelot. Those that cannot be easily freed by fishermen are clubbed to death to free them from the net, or die by drowning. Some 20 leatherbacks were slaughtered by fishermen off Matelot between March and May, 1995.

The Grande Riviere Environmental Awareness Trust (GREAT), an NGO based in Grande Riviere, propose in the project to purchase some fishing net (4¼" mesh size) to give to the Matelot fishermen to replace net lost by cutting to free trapped turtles. The fishermen were consulted and agreed to cut their nets to free trapped turtles. The project will be implemented in two phases:
Phase 1: Fishing net provided to fishermen to repair nets cut to free trapped turtles.
Phase 2: Shift to line fishing to replace net fishing during turtle-nesting season annually.

The grant will be used to purchase fishing net to repair the nets cut by the fishermen during the rest of 1995 into the 1996/1997 nesting season, and to purchase a bait net and accessories to provide for the introduction of live-bait line fishing off Matelot during the 1997 nesting season as an alternative to net fishing.

Notable Community Participation
Participation of fisherfolk in village in removing living turtles caught in gill nets

Capacity - Building Component
Training in live-bait fishing

Project Results
Benefits:
Local policy agreed to among 8 fishermen based at Matelot project site re release of trapped turtles from fishing nets.

Products/services:
Electrical re-wiring of Matelot fishing depot and installation of bait-attracting light.

Assessment of impact of project in the GEF focal area:
153 leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) released alive from fishing nets. Dermochelys coriacea is listed as critically endangered in IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species.

Phase 2 of the project was not achieved due to lack of re-connection of electricity supply to the fishing depot by the authorities. This negatively affected the planned sustainability of the project.