Sea turtles, being global citizens, unite countries and organisations around the globe in the shared mission of conservation. Since June 2024, Olive Ridley Project (ORP) has joined forces with the Association Kraten du Développement Durable, de la Culture et des Loisirs (AKDDCL), a Tunisian group dedicated to preserving the marine ecosystems of the Kerkennah Islands, Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. This partnership brings together expertise, resources, and a shared passion for sustainable conservation across ocean basins.
About AKDDCL
Founded in 2014, AKDDCL focuses on protecting the unique ecosystems of Kerkennah while promoting traditional, sustainable fishing methods. These practices not only safeguard biodiversity but also provide economic stability for local fishermen, showcasing a perfect balance between conservation and community livelihood.
Since 2023, AKDDCL has been managing a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the northern islets of the Kerkennah archipelago. This initiative, run in partnership with APAL, Tunisia’s coastal protection and development agency, is vital for the conservation of marine flora and fauna, promoting environmental education, and combating illegal fishing activities across the archipelago.
Nestled in the Gulf of Gabès, the Kerkennah Islands are a critical feeding ground for the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the most commonly spotted species along this gulf. However, the area is also home to intensive fishing activities, leading to frequent interactions between turtles and fishing gear. This ongoing conflict endangers both marine life and local fisheries, emphasising the need for deeper research and action to mitigate the impact of bycatch on turtles and fishers.
Strengthening Conservation Through Collaboration
ORP and AKDDCL have therefore joined hands to study the local populations of sea turtles and understand this conflict better. AKDDCL’s team quickly embarked on fieldwork after receiving specialised online training in Sea Turtle Photo-ID from ORP. Together, the organisations also developed a comprehensive database customized to the unique ecosystem of the Kerkennah Islands. Since launching their efforts, AKDDCL has conducted over 15 sea expeditions. Here they monitor loggerhead turtles through transect surveys and by engaging local fishers to identify areas with high turtle activity.
However, the initial missions revealed challenges stemming from the loggerhead turtles’ cautious nature. Their swift reflexes, especially in the shallow waters surrounding Kerkennah, made it difficult to capture necessary identification photographs for monitoring. Despite these hurdles, AKDDCL’s researchers were successful in collecting valuable data from underwater surveys and reports of turtles accidentally caught in fishing nets.
The joint effort of ORP and AKDDCL also provides an opportunity for both organisations to share experience and expertise in key areas of interest, such as citizen science, stakeholder engagement and fisheries management.
Citizen Science: Engaging Local Fishers
Local fishers play an integral role in this project, actively contributing to conservation efforts and helping raise awareness within the community. AKDDCL uses an innovative shell-etching technique to mark released sea turtles, enabling fishers to easily recognise tagged individuals and report sightings. This citizen science approach provides crucial data for ongoing studies, creating a meaningful bridge between the fishing community and conservationists.
The reality of commercial fishing, combined with a growing human population, is causing overfishing of numerous species to extinction, increasing pressure on marine resources, and pushing ecosystems toward collapse. It becomes crucial that we stop viewing the ocean solely as a resource and instead recognise its deep connection to our daily lives. Once we change this way of thinking, we will be in a better place to protect the ocean.
Looking Forward: Expanding Research and Conservation Efforts
The AKDDCL team has laid the groundwork for continued research, starting with a comprehensive population study of sea turtles in the region. This has spurred several initiatives, including the collaboration with ORP on the use of photo identification (Photo-ID) to monitor sea turtle movements and populations.
As these efforts progress, the partnership between AKDDCL and ORP will undoubtedly lead to a deeper understanding of sea turtles in the Kerkennah Islands and, more importantly, the development of sustainable solutions to protect them from the growing threats posed by human activity.
