As part of the Sea Turtle Monitoring Project (STM) financed by the Regional Partnership for the Conservation of Coastal and Marine Areas in West Africa (PRCM), the Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Areas (IBAP) organized an intensive training course from 10 to 14 July 2024 for its technicians and those of their partners. The aim of this initiative was to prepare the teams for the 2024 campaign to monitor sea turtles at the main nesting sites in Guinea-Bissau, including the Joao Vieira and Poilão National Marine Park (PNMJVP).
This training course was mainly geared towards strengthening the skills of technicians and trainees from IBAP, as well as from partner institutions such as AGEMA – Varela, ODZH, and Palmeirinha. Led by experts from ISPA/FCUL and IBAP, the training aimed to provide participants with in-depth knowledge and essential practical skills.
The theoretical training was held on 10 July 2024 at IBAP head office in Bissau, where several topics were addressed, including the history of sea turtle conservation in Guinea-Bissau, sea turtle biology, the spatial distribution and abundance of species, as well as the importance of research and key results. Participants were also trained in the rigorous use of databases and the importance of field data.
The practical part of the training took place on the island of Poilão from 11 to 14 July 2024. Participants learned how to count tracks and hatchlings, observe signs of predation, understand the morphology of nests and tracks, and open nests. They also tracked females and nests, carried out ringing, took skin samples, captured male turtles and installed satellite transmitters. The use of drones to monitor sea turtles and the organization of teams in the field were also key aspects of this training.
At the end of the training, participants expressed their satisfaction with the content of the modules offered. PNMJVPCurator Tumulo Garcia BAMBA stressed the importance of the training program in providing the technical staff with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve favorable results. He also highlighted the need to improve field conditions and provide complete campaign kits, while insisting on the holding of annual meetings to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the monitoring process.
For his part, IBAP/GIS technician Samuel Ledo PONTES emphasized the importance of new technologies and the use of advanced tools such as GPS, tablets and drones for monitoring and collecting accurate data. In his opinion, these technologies have considerably improved our knowledge of the turtles nesting in Poilão and are having a significant impact on the conservation and management of these species.
The STM Project continues to invest in building local capacity for sea turtle conservation. The training of IBAP technicians and their partners is a crucial step towards the sustainable protection of marine biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau. The technological innovations introduced, such as drones and Tolbox software, are valuable tools for improving the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring activities on the ground.
With initiatives like this one, PRCM and its partners are demonstrating their commitment to safeguarding marine ecosystems while actively involving local communities in conservation efforts.
