Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand

Sea Turtle Conservation Project
Activities and Accomplishments for the 2003-2004 Season

Prepared by Bodhi Garrett, Researcher

Sponsored by the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand

Introduction

The Andaman coast of Thailand is home to a wide variety of marine flora and fauna, including four species of sea turtles. Historically, Olive-Ridley, leatherback, green, and hawksbill turtles were common along the coast and the offshore islands, and many of the beaches hosted large numbers of sea turtle nests. In the last 20-30 years, however, a decline in the populations of all four species has been observed.

Alarmed by the decrease in turtle populations, and the even more dramatic reduction of turtle nesting sites (rookeries), the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WAR Thai), in cooperation with the Ranong Coastal Resources Research Station (RCRRS), initiated the Sea Turtle Conservation Project. The project's main objective was to monitor the beaches near the village of Baan Talae Nork, in Ranong Province, for turtle activity during the 2003-2004 nesting season. Baan Talae Nork was chosen because WAR operates a Wildlife Sanctuary in the village, and local fisherman reported finding three turtle nests during the 2002-2003 nesting season on the beaches near Baan Talae Nork.

The village of Baan Talae Nork is a loose collection of houses, a small clinic, and a schoolhouse set in amongst cashew orchards, bordered by mangroves on one side and terrestrial forest on the other. It is home to about 25 families, most of whom fish in small boats using traditional catching methods, much as their ancestors have for generations. During the dry season from December to March the locals fish around the clock, stocking up for the rainy season, when the tempestuous monsoon rains make it too dangerous to fish. Many of the homes in the village have thatched roofs and sit on stilts above the mangrove channels. Since there is almost no income in the area from tourism or industry, the lives of Baan Talae Nork's inhabitants are closely connected with the land.

Until the initiation of the Sea Turtle Conservation Project, there had been no formal efforts to monitor potential sea turtle rookeries or to engage local communities in turtle conservation on the northernmost Andaman coast (i.e. the area between the towns of Kuraburi and Ranong). The beaches on the islands just off the coast of Kuraburi are monitored by the Naucrates organization, a group that operates an effective conservation program for the residents on Phratong Island. As per information supplied by the Phuket Marine Biology Center, the area from Kao Lak to Ranong is the last stretch of the Andaman coastline that contains ideal nesting habitat for Olive-Ridley and leatherback turtles in Thailand - overdevelopment, related habitat degradation, and a sharp increase in the human population have taken their toll on the rest of the Andaman coast. Thus, the conservation efforts of WAR Thai's Sea Turtle Conservation Project, and of Naucrates' efforts on Phratong Island, are particularly relevant.

This report describes the Sea Turtle Conservation Project's objectives, activities, challenges, and accomplishments for the 2003-2004 nesting season. It is the hope of the authors that the information contained in this report can be used to inform future conservation efforts in the area.

Objectives

The main objective of the Sea Turtle Conservation Project was to identify and monitor potential sea turtle rookeries on the beaches to the north and south of Baan Talae Nork in the hopes of locating turtle nests that could then be protected to increase chances of successful hatching. In addition, project researchers intended to identify suitable marine habitats for adult and/or juvenile turtles and simultaneously assess reef health on the islands off the coast of Baan Talae Nork. In order to improve habitat quality, and set a positive example for local villagers, a campaign to remove litter from the beaches that were to be surveyed was also deemed necessary.

In addition to assessing biotic and abiotic factors, and cleaning up the beaches, researchers recognized the need to assess the influence of human communities on turtle populations and reproductive success. Through the use of a questionnaire, the project aimed to compile data on local villager sightings of turtles and nests, and come to a better understanding of local turtle and egg consumption, both in the present and historically.

The Sea Turtle Conservation Project was designed not only to learn more about human influence on turtles in the area, but to also engage in a widespread education campaign about the threats that turtles face. At the suggestion of the project researchers, education efforts also came to incorporate community outreach in Baan Talae Nork and the surrounding villages, both for educational purposes and in hopes of identifying local conservation allies. Aside from local support, non-Thai volunteers were utilized in the implementation of the project. Shortly after the program's inception, researchers determined that significant improvements were needed in the project's information dissemination and volunteer recruitment methods.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Sea Turtle Conservation Project was implemented with assistance from the Ranong Coastal Resources Research Station (RCRRS). Upon visiting the RCRRS, project researchers discovered nine captive sea turtles living in sub-optimal conditions. As a result, the project's objectives expanded to include the release of as many of these captive turtles as possible, and, at the very least, a significant improvement in their living conditions.

Project headquarters were located at WAR Thai's Wildlife Sanctuary in Baan Talae Nork. Due to the large workload and limited staff at the Wildlife Sanctuary, Project researchers were requested to help out. Thus, improving the living conditions and management regime for animals at the Wildlife Sanctuary was incorporated into the objectives of the Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

Sea Turtle Conservation Project objectives summary:

Identify and monitor potential sea turtle rookeries.
Protect nesting sites.
Identify suitable marine habitats for adult/juvenile turtles, assess reef health.
Remove litter from beaches in project area.
Assess local awareness and consumption of turtles and turtle nests.
Engage in conservation education and outreach to local communities.
Improve information dissemination and volunteer recruitment tools.
Improve conditions for captive turtles and release as many as possible.
Improve animal conditions and management regime at Wildlife Sanctuary.

Activities and Accomplishments

SUMMARY:

All told, 956 man-hours were spent searching for turtles and turtle nests between December 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004 on the six stretches of beach in the project area. The islands of Laem Son National Park were also checked for possible nesting beaches and potential marine turtle habitat. Unfortunately, despite intense efforts and systematic surveying of suitable habitat, no turtle nests, or signs thereof, were located.

Researchers were directly responsible for the removal of over 1000 pounds of garbage from the beaches of Baan Talae Nork and Koh Kwai.
A survey was designed to assess local knowledge of recent turtle sightings, potential nesting sites, personal and community use of turtle eggs and meat, and historical trends of turtle consumption. In total, 130 surveys were collected from six villages: Laem Naew, Baan Talae Nork, Baan Glouy, Taklan, Kampuan, and Hat Praphat.
Education activities were diverse, researchers: trained university students in social research methodology, staged presentations and created a coloring book for primary school students and a troop of 500 boy scouts, and held seminars in turtle conservation and beach ecology for the international students.
The Sea Turtle Conservation project encouraged local conservation leadership through cooperation with local chiefs and fisherman in survey collection and turtle monitoring. In addition, researchers set up and publicized educational handouts and a turtle nest hotline - a phone number that locals could call to report turtle and turtle nest sightings.
Researchers improved cleanliness, depth, and sunlight levels in tanks for nine captive turtles at the Ranong Coastal Resources Research Station, and then tagged and released three of the nine captive turtles.
The website for WAR Thai's Sea Turtle Conservation Program was rewritten, expanded, and several inaccuracies therein were corrected.
Researchers and volunteers also helped with duties at WAR Thai's Wildlife Sanctuary such as the production of a volunteer handbook, photo documentation of the Wildlife Sanctuary, ensuring that all animals had adequate water and water containers, cleaning animal feeding area and removing feces from cages.

Objective: Identify and monitor potential sea turtle rookeries

Activities and Accomplishments:

All told, 956 man-hours were spent searching for turtles and turtle nests between December 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004. As agreed between WAR Thai and RCRRS, project researchers were responsible for patrolling the beach at Baan Talae Nork. With only two people regularly available to monitor 6 kilometers of beach, bicycles were often used, and turtle monitoring occurred twice daily - at 10 pm and 6:30 am. Turtle surveillance on Hat Praphat was conducted once daily, at 10 pm, by RCRRS staff and a team of 6 volunteers from the Greenway organization. WAR Thai volunteers and students from several institutions, including the International School of Bangkok, Kasetsart University, the Boy Scouts, and Ranong High School, intermittently helped with beach surveillance.

Aside from those at Hat Praphat and Baan Talae Nork, four other beaches were surveyed several times, by foot when the tides allowed, and by observation from a boat on four occasions. These beaches showed great promise as potential nesting sites, as discussed in the habitat descriptions found in Appendix A. Buffalo prints and tracks left by local villagers walking their motorcycles often left confusing markings that required examination during night walks. Upon closer inspection, though, the marks were easily distinguishable from turtle tracks.

In total, 6 major stretches of sandy beach were regularly surveyed. From north to south, the beaches were: Hat Ngua, Hat Baan Talae Nork, Hat Farang, Hat Baan Glouy, Hat Taklan, and Hat Praphat ("hat" is the Thai word for beach). Aside from Hat Praphat, the beaches did not have official designations, so the names assigned were chosen by researchers and, where appropriate, referred to the village closest to the particular beach.

All of the beaches were quite flat with a low gradient (steepness) between the low and high tide marks. Very few erosion banks were present on any of the beaches and the erosion banks that were observed were not large enough to discourage nesting. Each beach had at least some stretches of safe nesting habitat for the turtles, i.e. several meters of sand above the spring tide line. Please see Appendix A for more a more complete description of each beach.

The islands of Laem Son National Park were also checked for possible nesting beaches. On six separate occasions the beaches of Koh Kwai, Koh Yam, Koh Japanese, and Koh Kam Nui were surveyed. Unfortunately, only very small stretches of beach were found that could host turtle nests. Most of the beaches on these islands were likely to be flooded during the high spring tides, precluding the presence of successful turtle nests.

Objective: Protect nesting sites

Activities and Accomplishments:

Unfortunately, despite intense efforts and systematic surveying of suitable habitat, no turtle nests, or signs thereof, were located. Please refer to the challenges and recommendations section for possible reasons.

Objective: Identify suitable marine habitat for sea turtles, assess reef health

Activities and Accomplishments:

Researchers investigated potential marine turtle habitat a total of 10 times. Six assessments utilized snorkeling gear, while the other four were accomplished with the aid of Scuba diving equipment. All investigations occurred at the islands off the coast of Baan Talae Nork - poor visibility in the waters next to the coastline precluded successful visual observation of habitat.

Coral and fish diversity were assessed utilizing a transect method. A transect line 100 meters in length was laid across reef, stretching perpendicularly from the shoreline out into the sea. The type of substrate underneath the transect line were recorded continuously along the 100 meter line. Substrate types recorded were sand, silt, algae, pollution, rock (including dead coral), and 6 species of coral: soft coral, staghorn coral, rock coral, brain coral, fungia coral, and gorgonian coral. For example, the information was recorded as (meter 45.8 to meter 47.9: staghorn coral) (meter 47.9 to meter 50.2: sand). Fish species were recorded along each five meter subsection of the transect line. Each subsection was monitored for a two minutes, and any fish coming within one meter of the subsection were noted. Only certain types of fish were recorded: butterfly fish, sweetlips fish, groupers, angel fish, and parrot fish.

Sea grass beds at Koh Kwai and Koh Kam Nui that were reportedly healthy only a few years ago were found to be patchy and covered in sediment. Sea weed was sighted only occasionally.

Considering that green turtles feed mainly on sea grass and sea weed, the absence of these marine flora indicate that we did not find any suitable habitat for adult green turtles. Jellyfish were frequently found washed up on the beaches, indicating the presence of suitable food for leatherback turtles. The relatively intact state of the coral reefs surveyed, and the presence of variety of fish and crustacean species indicates that the islands off the coast of Baan Talae Nork are potentially good habitat for Olive-Ridley and Hawksbill turtles.

Objective: Remove litter from beaches in the project area

Activities and Accomplishments:

All told, researchers were directly responsible for the removal of over 1000 pounds of garbage from the beaches of Baan Talae Nork and Koh Kwai. Compared with many of Thailand's beaches, the stretches of beach within the project area had lower concentrations of garbage. Nevertheless, approximately 560 pounds of litter were removed from Baan Talae Nork by researchers and WAR Thai volunteers.

Aside from volunteer efforts, researchers enlisted the help of 500 Boy Scouts, who spent roughly a half hour collecting 240 pounds of garbage from the beach at Baan Talae Nork. As a side note, despite the helpfulness of the Boy Scouts themselves, the organizers of the Boy Scout camp failed to clean up a majority of the waste generated by their young scouts. The waste that was gathered up, including large quantities of plastic and Styrofoam, was heaped in a pile and burned.

A majority of garbage collection at Baan Talae Nork occurred during beach monitoring, with some afternoons dedicated solely refuse removal. Afternoon activities were focused on the area of the beach closest to the village of Baan Talae Nork, so as to set a positive example for local individuals. In one instance of encouraging local behavior, researchers and volunteers were joined by a villager, who had observed the clean-up, inquired as to its nature, and then joined in with her own bag.

Very little of the trash found on Hat Baan Talae Nork appeared to have been generated by locals - the most common items removed were: Styrofoam fishing floats, glass and plastic bottles, and an incomprehensible number of discarded shoes The frequency of discarded footwear inspires the joke "What has 10,000 shoes, but no footprints? An isolated Thai beach."

Trash was also collected on the island of Koh Kwai on two separate occasions during habitat assessment voyages. Unlike the coastal beaches, the roughly 240 pounds of garbage removed from Koh Kwai was a mixture of refuse left behind by visitors to the island, fisherman camping on the island, and garbage that washed up - including a large number of light bulbs from squid fishing boats.

In addition to their own garbage removal activities, researchers assisted in the coordination and implementation of a major clean-up effort at Hat Praphat. Unlike the other beaches in the project area, where a majority of the garbage washes in from the sea, the large number of visitors to Hat Praphat left behind significant amounts of litter. With the help of a team of nearly 30 Greenway volunteers and local policemen, nearly 1000 pounds of refuse was collected.

Objective: Assess local awareness and consumption of turtles and turtle nests

Activities and Accomplishments:

In the first weeks of the project's implementation, researchers recognized the need to assess the influence of human communities on turtle populations and reproductive success. Thus, researchers designed a survey of local villagers to improve the chances of finding turtle nests and gain a better understanding of threats to turtle populations in this area. The survey asked about: recent turtle sightings, potential nesting sites, personal and community use of turtle eggs and meat, and historical trends of turtle consumption. In total, 130 surveys were collected from six villages: Laem Naew, Baan Talae Nork, Baan Glouy, Taklan, Kampuan, and Hat Praphat. At the time this report was written, survey results were still being analyzed - a final report of local surveys is forthcoming, but some results are discussed in the conclusion of this report.

Objective: Engage in conservation education and outreach to local communities

Activities and Accomplishments:

The Sea Turtle Conservation Project was designed not only to learn more about turtles in the area, but to also engage in a widespread education campaign about the threats that turtles face. Education efforts fell into three main categories: working directly with local communities, leading informational tours and beach walks, and educating students - both local and non-local.

Researchers held seminars in turtle conservation and beach ecology for the International School of Bangkok and the Chiang Mai International School. Activities included: a snorkeling trip to study sea grass beds and coral reefs, and a tour of the local mangrove forests, beach monitoring, and a tour WAR Thai's wildlife sanctuary. Several presentation were made, with the help of a translator, to primary school children - including school groups from Ranong, Kampuan, Baan Talae Nork, and Laem Naew. By request of the superintendent of the local school district, researchers also designed and gave a 1-hour presentation to a large camp of Bay Scouts on turtle conservation and beach pollution. As previously noted, all 500 scouts then participated in a rubbish collection along the northern beach of Baan Talae Nork. In order to more effectively reach out to younger school children, researchers designed and wrote text for a coloring book. The coloring book, targeted specifically at local children, focused on the importance of sea turtle conservation, and introduced the rocky shore, beach, and mangrove habitats in an accessible format. The first distribution took place to 50 children during Children's Day festivities at Baan Talae Nork, with subsequent distributions occurring at other local schools. When the opportunity arose, researchers would lead groups on beach walks. Various groups participated in these walks, including 30 officials with the Thai Ministry of Health, 8 veterinary students from Kasetsart University, 12 fisheries management students from Mahidol University, and a group of 20 short-term Greenway volunteers. In addition to looking for turtles and turtle nests, the walks became an informal classroom for teaching individuals about beach ecology, observation techniques, local environmental threats, and, of course, turtle conservation. Researchers also assisted in instructing a group of Mahidol University graduate students in habitat surveying techniques, and simplified survey techniques were taught to Ranong Satree high school students. Researchers also trained university students in social research methodology. Eight fisheries management students were recruited to help with the collection and translation of survey data. At the suggestion of the project researchers, education efforts also came to incorporate community outreach in Baan Talae Nork and the surrounding villages, both for educational purposes and in hopes of identifying local conservation allies. Previous to the Sea Turtle Conservation Project's efforts, there had been no concerted attempts to educate local communities about conservation issues. Given the subtleties of Thai culture, and the moral implications of forcing a non-indigenous conservation agenda, it was not the intention of researchers to tell local communities what to do, but instead to engage them in a dialogue on conservation issues. Thus, with local villagers, community outreach was utilized instead of direct education methods. A handout was prepared detailing the Project's objectives of finding sea turtle nests, our motivations for doing so, and a reward program for information leading to the location of undisturbed turtle nests. In addition, researchers set up and publicized a turtle nest hotline - a number that locals could call to report turtle and turtle nest sightings.

While distributing surveys in the village of Taklan, researchers spoke with a well respected shop owner in the village and his friend, a local fisherman. Both gentlemen showed a keen interest in conservation, and may prove to be useful contacts in the future. The two men were also a very useful source of information about turtles in the area and were able to tell us of several recent turtle sightings in the area. The local fisherman then offered to hand out the surveys, explain their purpose to the villagers, and collect them all. He then took researchers to Hat Taklan, where he noted the locations at which turtle nests had been found in previous years. In another example of local conservation leadership, member of the RCRRS staff, also a village resident, distributed and then collected surveys at Hat Praphat.

A meeting was held with the chief of the Baan Glouy, and he was most helpful in distributing the surveys and collecting them for us. Although he showed less interest in our efforts then the shop owner and fisherman in Taklan, he is a potentially valuable ally for future conservation work in the area. Researchers also worked with the daughter of the chief of Hat Praphat and Kampuan villages, and she helped to distribute and collect surveys. Researchers also undertook an outreach campaign to a series of remote, seasonally inhabited huts located on the beaches south of Hat Baan Talae Nork.

Objective: Improve information dissemination and volunteer recruitment tools

Activities and Accomplishments:

The website for WAR Thai's Sea Turtle Conservation Program was rewritten, expanded, and several inaccuracies therein were corrected. An updated description of the Wildlife Sanctuary, photos of Sea Turtle Conservation Project activities, and monthly activity reports were also added to the website. The activity reports gave potential volunteers insight into the daily schedule of researchers, and a better idea of what to expect upon arrival in Baan Talae Nork. In addition, a special section on life in the rural Muslim south of Thailand was added - highlighting both the need for sensitivity to local customs and the positive aspects of life away from the touristed parts of Thailand.

Researchers also established contact with two other turtle conservation programs on the Andaman coast - the Phuket Marine Biology Center and the Naucrates program on Phratong Island. Visits to these projects, and hosting Naucrates' lead research assistant, allowed for an exchange of information on turtle monitoring techniques and proper care of turtles in captivity.

Midway through the study period, the Greenway volunteers responsible for surveying Hat Praphat left for another project. As the first batch of Greenway volunteers had expressed reservations about the project, it fell to the researchers to recruit and train the next batch of Greenway volunteers. After several meetings, the second batch agreed to continue monitoring Hat Praphat and even agreed to help with survey distribution and analysis.

Objective: Improve conditions for captive turtles, release as many as possible

Activities and Accomplishments:

Upon their first visit to the RCRRS, researchers discovered nine captive turtles living in concrete tanks 5 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep. The weight, size, and tag numbers for the turtles are listed in Appendix B. The tanks were extremely dirty, and the water level was a meager 50 centimeters; so low, that the turtles were unable to swim in their tanks, and could only move by crawling. The upper carapace of the adult Olive-Ridley turtles was not covered by water, and had become bleached by exposed to the air. Due to a lack of direct sunlight in their tanks, the skin color of all of the captive turtles was unusually light.

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