Red Data Book

4.5 Increase Information Exchange

4.51 Marine Turtle Newsletter

This Newsletter is regularly received by the Fisheries Department, Forest and Lands De-partment, Castries Central Library, Ministry of Planning's Documentation Centre, St. Lucia National Trust, and members of the SLNS. It is viewed as an invaluable source of information. The Newsletter is distributed free of charge to interested readers in more than 100 countries and focuses on sea turtle research and conservation issues around the world. It is available from the Editors upon request: Marine Turtle Newsletter (Attn: Karen and Scott Eckert, Editors), Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham Street, San Diego, California 92109 USA.

4.52 Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium (WATS)

St. Lucia participated in both the first (Murray, 1984) and second (Charles, 1987) Western Atlantic Turtle Symposia (WATS). The Government intends to continue to participate in this valuable regional database. The WATS Manual of Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Techniques (Pritchard et al., 1983) has been distributed to all concerned organisations.

4.53 WIDECAST

The Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Recovery Team and Conservation Network (WIDE-CAST) consists of a regional team of sea turtle experts who work closely with in-country Coordinators. National Coordinators in turn enlist the support and participation of citizens in and out of government who have an interest in sea turtle conservation. The primary project outputs are Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plans (STRAPs) for each of 39 government regions, including St. Lucia, in the Wider Caribbean. Each STRAP is tailored specifically to local circumstances and provides the following information:

1. 
   The local status and distribution of nesting and feeding sea turtles.
   
2. 
   The major causes of mortality to sea turtles.
   
3. 
   The effectiveness of existing national and international laws protecting sea turtles.
   
4. 
   The present and historical role of sea turtles in local culture and economy.
   
5. 
   Local, national, and multi-lateral implementing measures for scientifically sound sea turtle conservation.
   

The short-term objectives of WIDECAST are to provide Wider Caribbean governments with updated information on the status of sea turtles in the region, to provide specific recom-mendations for the management and recovery of endangered, threatened, and vulnerable sea tur-tle stocks, and to assist Wider Caribbean governments in the discharge of their obligations under the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbe-an Region (see section 4.32). The longer-term objectives are to promote a regional capability to implement scientifically sound sea turtle conservation programmes. Specifically, to develop and support a technical understanding of sea turtle biology and management among local individuals and organizations by:

1. 
   Implementing WIDECAST through resident Country Coordinators.
   
2. 
   Utilising local network participants to collect information and draft, with the assistance of regional sea turtle experts, locally appropriate sea turtle management recommendations.
   
3. 
   Providing or assisting in the development of educational materials (slides, brochures, posters, pamphlets).
   
4. 
   Sponsoring or supporting local or subregional workshops on sea turtle biology and management.
   
5. 
   Assisting governments and non-government organizations with the implementation of effective management and conservation programmes for sea turtles.
   

Beyond supporting the local and national efforts of governments and non-governmental organizations, WIDECAST works to integrate these efforts into a collective regional response to a common problem: the disappearance of sea turtles. WIDECAST is supported by the Caribbean Trust Fund of the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme, as well as by government and non-government agencies and groups. Government and non-government personnel, biologists, fishermen, educators, developers, and other interested persons are encouraged to join WIDE-CAST's efforts. The WIDECAST Coordinator in St. Lucia is Mr. Crispin d'Auvergne, former Conservation Fisheries Officer and now National Coordinator for the ENCORE project (Ministry of Planning). The Lead Organizations for implementation are the Fisheries Department (tel: [phone]) and the SLNS (Crispin d'Auvergne, Chairman; tel: [phone]). WIDECAST is viewed as an important mechanism for cooperation and the exchange of information, as well as for support in conservation planning and programme implementation on behalf of endangered sea turtles.

4.54 IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group

The Marine Turtle Specialist Group (Dr. Karen Bjornal, Chair) is responsible for tracking the status of sea turtle populations around the world for the World Resources Union (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC). The Group is presently drafting an outline for a global Marine Turtle Action Plan. The Group is a valuable source of information about sea turtles and technical advise on conservation projects. Contact Dr. Karen Bjorndal, Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, c/o Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 USA.

4.55 Workshops on research and management

Prior to the implementation of field surveys or other sea turtle conservation projects, participants should be educated concerning basic sea turtle ecology. This training would logically include the identification of sea turtle species, whether the evidence available was a live turtle, a hatchling, an egg, or a crawl on the beach. Additional detail, provided as needed, should include the proper way to conduct beach patrols, tag turtles, move eggs, survey by air, etc. The Department of Fisheries presently trains persons involved with sea turtle field work in St. Lucia. Support and expertise will be sought from WIDECAST. Also useful would be formal field instruction at the annual sea turtle training course in Tortuguero, Costa Rica (Caribbean Conservation Corporation, P. O. Box 2866, Gainesville, Florida 32602 USA). Finally, WIDECAST has offered to provide members of the sea turtle conservation community in St. Lucia with opportunities to work for short periods on specific field projects elsewhere in the Wider Caribbean.

4.56 Exchange of information among local groups

The Department of Fisheries, the SLNS, the St. Lucia National Trust, and the Forestry Division work co-operatively on sea turtle conservation issues. This is encouraged as a way to maximise the expertise and resources that can be brought to bear on a particular conservation problem or activity. We recommend that the national media become more involved in stressing the importance and immediacy of sea turtle conservation.