PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is an endangered species in the European Union, listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive. Greece hosts the most important nesting population in the Mediterranean with 3 000 nests per season. Crete supports the second largest number of nests, after Zakynthos, with 25% of the national nesting population - about 750 nests - at three sites: the beaches east of Rethimno; the Golf of Chania; and at Messaras Bay on the south coast.
Loggerhead turtle nesting sites in Greece are subject to heavy human pressure because they are also popular tourist beaches. The main human activities that disturb the sea turtles are: the overexploitation of the beaches by the construction of roads and other tourist facilities, the use of vehicles on the beaches, and light disorientation - particularly in Rethymno and Chania - caused by hotel lights close to the nesting sites. As each nesting population is known to return to the same nesting site year after year, the destruction of any site leads to the extinction of the population using it.
Conservation measures are urgently needed on Crete to save a large number of nests that would otherwise be lost because of human activities. The relatively low nesting density on Crete - in contrast to Zakynthos - provides the possibility to control disturbing factors by applying ‘soft’ measures and by implementing public awareness programmes for both residents and visitors.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE project’s global objective was the long-term protection and recovery of the loggerhead sea turtle’s nesting populations on the island of Crete. This was to be achieved with the maximum possible local involvement.
Specifically, the project aimed to:
implement conservation measures at targeted sites to protect the annual 500-800 nests
produce management plan proposals and submit them to the national authorities for implementation.
declare three nesting sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) as provided for by the Habitats Directive
raise awareness of both the local population and visitors on the need to protect these sites and how specifically they can help do this
RESULTS
Overall, the project achieved its main objectives and successfully addressed the issues detrimental to the turtle’s nesting success. However, as sea turtles are not reproductively mature until 20-25 years old, it will not be possible to quantify and evaluate the success of the conservation measures until a much later date.
The project was able to recruit 180-200 volunteers each year to undertake conservation measures and help raise public awareness. These worked with the project to locate and protect nests each season. They protected about 60% of the nests with a small fence. Where this was not feasible, they relocated the eggs of the nests to a hatchery. Only about 5% of nests were not safeguarded by one of these two methods.
Light disorientation was reduced by shading nests, painting lampposts and installing shielded floodlights. The project also obtained the agreement and co-operation of tourist facilities to arrange their sunbeds and beach umbrellas in specific patterns to minimize disturbance to nesting turtles. Volunteers helped to clear such objects off the beach every night to prevent obstacles to the turtles. Vehicular use on beaches was strictly controlled.
The project team collected data on nesting and hatching throughout the three years of the project. This contributed to planning, as elaborated in a management plan for turtle conservation, which was presented to the local and national authorities. A final version was expected just after the timeframe of the LIFE project, in 1998.
Finally, a successful campaign led to widespread acceptance of the conservation project by locals and tourists. It targeted beach-users through the distribution of 200 000 trilingual brochures on the turtle and its nesting habitat. The team made public presentations in schools, hotels and local communities, reaching nearly 100 000 people and sent over 50 press releases to TV and radio. Permanent information centres were established at each of the three nesting sites.Overall, the project achieved its main objectives and successfully addressed the issues detrimental to the turtle’s nesting success. However, as sea turtles are not reproductively mature until 20-25 years old, it will not be possible to quantify and evaluate the success of the conservation measures until a much later date.
The project was able to recruit 180-200 volunteers each year to undertake conservation measures and help raise public awareness. These worked with the project to locate and protect nests each season. They protected about 60% of the nests with a small fence. Where this was not feasible, they relocated the eggs of the nests to a hatchery. Only about 5% of nests were not safeguarded by one of these two methods.
Light disorientation was reduced by shading nests, painting lampposts and installing shielded floodlights. The project also obtained the agreement and co-operation of tourist facilities to arrange their sunbeds and beach umbrellas in specific patterns to minimize disturbance to nesting turtles. Volunteers helped to clear such objects off the beach every night to prevent obstacles to the turtles. Vehicular use on beaches was strictly controlled.
The project team collected data on nesting and hatching throughout the three years of the project. This contributed to planning, as elaborated in a management plan for turtle conservation, which was presented to the local and national authorities. A final version was expected just after the timeframe of the LIFE project, in 1998.
Finally, a successful campaign led to widespread acceptance of the conservation project by locals and tourists. It targeted beach-users through the distribution of 200 000 trilingual brochures on the turtle and its nesting habitat. The team made public presentations in schools, hotels and local communities, reaching nearly 100 000 people and sent over 50 press releases to TV and radio. Permanent information centres were established at each of the three nesting sites.