Turks and Caicos Islands Turtle Project

2010, TCI.  The first international CVM project; involved fishermen in discussing sea turtle management.

Overview: The TCI Turtle Project is a partnership among the Marine Conservation Society (UK), Duke University, and the TCI Department of of Environment and Coastal Resources.  The project, which involved collection of biological and social science data from 2009 through 2011, was designed to support the development of new management policies for TCI’s sea turtle fishery (a response to widely acknowledged inadequacies of the existing, minimal policies).  A CVM component was incorporated into the project in 2010 to facilitate the engagement of local stakeholders in the policy development conversation.

In February 2010, Turtle Project officer Amdeep Sanghera, Gabriel Cumming, and Lisa Campbell interviewed 30 fishermen and other stakeholders on South Caicos Island (the TCI island with the largest fishing population).  Gabriel then analyzed the interview content and incorporated excerpts into a film, which was screened throughout TCI from beginning in July 2010.

As of July 2014, the recommendations of fisherman collected through this project have been incorporated into amendments to TCI’s Fisheries Protection ordinance.

Watch the film:


Talkin' Turtle in the Big South from Gabriel Cumming on Vimeo.

 

Photo credit: Peter Richardson