The Anambas Sea Turtle Protection Program at Durai Island
- In 2008, a multi-faceted and collaborative sea turtle conservation program was initiated in the Anambas Islands, Indonesia, an archipelago of approximately 240 islands in the South China Sea, which is the hub for nearby oil drilling companies such as Conoco Phillips, Star Energy and Premier Oil.
The project is located on Durai Island where thousands of green and hawksbill turtles nest and which is considered the most populated sea turtle beach in the region. - For at least 40 years, 100% of the eggs were collected and sold for human consumption and sea turtle nesting declined approximately 75%.
- In 2009, a novel conservation program to protect the sea turtles of Durai was initiated by BF and Premier Oil to establish a long-term agreement with the island’s non-resident owners and resident caretaker, Pak Lahanie.
- On January 1, 2010, Pak Lahanie was no longer hired to collect the eggs – instead he was hired to protect the nests.
- Hundreds of thousands of hatchlings have since returned to the sea for the first time in decades.
- The project is of great interest to the people of Anambas since this can result in an increase of fish around Durai due to an influx of baby sea turtles as food, thus beginning the process of restoring a healthy food web with keystone predators.
In 2011, BF conducted a baseline study of the Durai Island coral reef. The results of this study was published in the Atoll Research Bulletin. - Working with Kitty Currier (Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara), BF also carried out a coastal imaging project of Durai Island using aerial photography.
- Surrounding Durai is a luxuriant, biodiverse reef, but like all reefs in the region, it is threatened by destructive fishing, over-fishing, anchor damage, oil and mercury contamination from oil drilling and climate change. At the time of the study there was an infestation of crown of thorns devestating the living coral.
- In July 2011, Biosphere Foundation met with the local government and joined a consortium in Jakarta to make Durai Island a Marine Protected Area (MPA).
- Future work will focus on engaging the community in protecting and implementing a No-Take area within the MPA and building awareness about how this will restore depleted fisheries and sea turtle populations, bring back the health of reefs and create healthy ecosystems that are robust and better able to withstand change.
- Biosphere Association (a BF affiliate organization) has initiated a trash-recycling program for the plastic that washes up on the beach of Durai. Working with Bali "Friends of Menjangan" Coordinator, Nono Suparno, the community was taught how to turn used plastic into beautiful shopping bags.
BF continues to provide guidance to support the long-term sustainability of this project with Biosfir Indonesia, a yayasan in the Anambas Islands.
To learn more about the Anambas project or to spread the word, read some of our Raffles Marina's Nautique magazine articles and visit the Kingdom of Durai blog.
