Novita Permata Putri
Endangered species of Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) and Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are included in the IUCN Red List as Endangered and Critically Endangered, these species are the most common species found at Teluk Dalam Island in Anambas Marine Protected Area (MPA). The continuing decline of the turtle populations in Anambas has resulted in Anambas Islands being listed in the 2022 - 2024 National Action Plan as a priority site for turtle conservation. The turtle trade is still very much part of the coastal communities' livelihood. Add to that, the lack of human resources to protect the turtles and limited baseline data on socio-ecology are making it harder to evaluate conservation action and their populations status and trends.
© Anambas Foundation. Abdulrahman Ritonga.
This project will be the first collaborative, community-based conservation program in Anambas that aims to protect turtles from illegal poaching and provide information on the species’ socio-ecological aspect through applied research and tagging while promoting citizen science as a long-term conservation effort. In collaboration with LKKPN Pekanbaru as the Marine Authority, we will develop a long-term sea turtle conservation program at Teluk Dalam which will be managed by the local communities in the future.