Comarca Ngobe-Bugle Sea Turtle Assessment

7/27/2019 Comarca Ngobe-Bugle Sea Turtle Assessment

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USAID PROGRAM FORTHE MANAGEMENT OF

Aerial view of Rio Caa and the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl


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THE MANAGEMENT OF

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE

ASSESSMENT


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CONTENTSList of Figures ............................................................................... iv

List of Tables ................................................................................. iv

List of Acronyms ............................................................................ v

Summary ......................................................................................... 6

Project Site Description ................................................................. 6

Vision Statement ........................................................................... 8

Selection of Focal Targets ........................................................... 10

Viability Assessment ................................................................... 12Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators......................................... 12Status of Key Ecological Attributes ................................................. 13Stresses, and Sources of Stress ..................................................... 17

Situation Analysis ........................................................................ 24


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LIST OF FIGURESFigure 1. Map showing the location of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl inPanama ............................................................................................ 7

Figure 2. Map showing the location of principal sea turtle nesting

beaches within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl ....................................... 8

Figure 3. Maps showing the location of two protected areas withinthe Comarca Ngbe-Bugl ............................................................... 9

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. List of focal conservation targets ...................................... 10

Table 2. Explanation of the selection of focal conservation targets....................................................................................................... 11

Table 3. KEAs and associated indicators of focal conservation

targets ............................................................................................ 12Table 4. Summary of indicators, indicator rankings, current statusand the current and desired ranking for each KEA determined for


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LIST OF ACRONYMS

ANABOCA Bocas Hawksbill Assocation (Asociacion Natural Bocas Carey)

ANAMNational Environment Authority (Autoridad Nacional del

Ambiente)

ANATINational Authority of Land Administration (Autoridad Nacionalde Administracin de Tierras)

APRORENANBAssocation for the Protection of Ngbe-Bugl NaturalResources (Associacin para la Proteccin de los RecursosNaturales Ngbe-Bugl)

ARAP Authority of the Aquatic Resources of Panama (Autoridad de

los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama)

ATPTourism Authority of Panama (Autoridad de Turismo dePanama)

CAP Conservation Action Planning

KEA Key Ecological Attribute

MAREAManagement of Aquatic Rescources and EconomicAlternatives


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SUMMARYThis report provides an assessment of the sea turtle populations within theComarca Ngbe1-Bugl, Panama, conducted by Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC)staff in July, 2012 as part of the development of a five year sea turtleconservation plan for the Comarca. The assessment was based on the results oflong-term monitoring and conservation activities that have been conducted bySTC within the Comarca. It includes a description of the current status of each

sea turtle species, an analysis of their principal threats, and the identification ofkey stakeholder groups to be involved in the conservation plan developmentprocess. It was based on The Nature Conservancys (TNC) Conservation ActionPlanning (CAP) process, detailed in TNC (2007).

This assessment was one of the activities included in the STCs task order foryear two of the USAID Regional Program for the Management of AquaticResources and Economic Alternatives (MAREA).

PROJECT SITE DESCRIPTIONThe semi-autonomous Comarca Ngbe-Bugl, located in northwestern Panama(See Figure 1), was legally established by Law #10 on 7 March, 1997 (Aguilar &Garca-Huidobro, 2001). It was registered as a division of State territory, and iscomprised of three major regions; Kribo, Nidrini y Kodri (See Figure 1). The

Comarca lies between the Provinces of Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and Chiriqu,and is crossed from West to East by the Cordillera Central or Tabasara mountainrange, which separates two geographical regions: the Atlantic or Caribbean,approximately 40% of which is covered in primary forest and where the rivers are


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loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and the region contains important nesting,

migration and foraging sites for various life stages of these different species.

Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl in PanamaFrom http://www.zonu.com/North-America/Panama/Ngobe-Bugle/index_en.html

As described in the Baseline Report on the Status of Sea Turtle Populations inB d l T P i d th C N b B l (S T tl

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL


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Figure 2. Map showing the location of principal sea turtle nesting beaches withinthe Comarca Ngbe-Bugl

VISION STATEMENTGiven the historical importance of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl and theneighboring Bocas del Toro province for sea turtles (Meylan et al., In Press), andthe documented presence in the region of various life stages of several turtle

i th i l t ti f t tl ti l i i ti t


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facing nesting females on Chiriqu Beach (Ordoez 1999-2002, unpublisheddata). This work highlighted both the importance of the beach for leatherbacknesting, and the decline in hawksbill nesting.

In 2002, a consortium of interested people and organizations was formed andinitiated meetings with national and local authorities, local conservation groupsand indigenous communities to assess their interest in establishing a long-termhawksbill conservation program on Chiriqu Beach. A decision was made to alsoinclude Escudo de Veraguas Island, which lies 14 km offshore from Chiriqu

Beach and Red Beach, to the west of Chiriqu Beach.

In the coastal region of the Kribo, two protected areas have been declared(See Figure 3). The Damani-Guariviara Wetland of International Importance(Resolution AG- 0346-2004) is comprised of 24,089 hectares, including the entire24km of Chiriqu Beach. This wetland is also a listed RAMSAR site. The otherprotected area is the Protected Landscape Escudo de Veraguas-Deg Island(Paisaje Protegido Isla Escudo de Veraguas-Deg) that was created in 2009.

This area encompasses both a marine (41,596 hectares) and terrestrial (533hectares) component around Escudo de Veraguas Island (Resolution AG- 0095-2009).


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These protected areas are of great biological value, for they include a greatdiversity of flora and fauna within a variety of ecosystems; including, amongothers, several sea turtle species, manatee (Trichechus manatus) and the Harpyeagle (Harpia harpyja). In addition, the areas support two indigenous ethnicgroups (Ngbe and Bugl) who are considered to be among the oldest tribes inPanama.

The process of developing a five-year sea turtle conservation plan for theComarca Ngbe-Bugl will involve active participation and input from local

stakeholder groups. The vision of the STC is that the plan will be used as a toolto guide resource management decisions within the Comarca that could impactsea turtles or their habitats. It is hoped that the actions proposed in the plan willbe successfully implemented to reduce key threats to sea turtles to withinacceptable limits, such that there will be an overall positive effect on turtlepopulations. This could be achieved, for example, through increased survivorshipof nests, improved hatching success or reduced illegal take of turtles from thenear-shore habitat as a result of more effective protection measures by

government authorities. The primary aim, simply stated, is to ensure the long-term survival of sea turtles within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl.

SELECTION OF FOCAL TARGETSAs detailed in the Conservation Action Planning Handbook (TNC, 2007), one ofthe initial steps in developing a conservation plan is to select the focal

conservation targets. The nature of these targets will define the proposedconservation actions and strategies, and they will also be used to evaluate theoverall effectiveness of the plan, by comparing their status before and after itsimplementation


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The reason why each of the focal targets listed above were selected is detailed inTable 2. The three sea turtle species listed in Table 2 could be viewed as anested group of conservation targets, for they have similar ecologicalrequirements and certain threats in common, for example, the illegal take ofeggs. However, because there are also other significant threats that are uniqueto each individual species, such as the hunting of hawksbills for their shell, it wasdeemed more appropriate to consider each species independently for theconservation plan.

Table 2. Explanation of the selection of focal conservation targets

Target name Reason for selection

Leatherback turtle

Leatherback turtles are classified as criticallyendangered. Globally important nesting

populations are found within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl and the neighboring province of Bocas del

Toro2. Females also migrate through the Comarcaen route to/from feeding grounds.

Hawksbill turtle

Hawksbill turtles are classified as criticallyendangered. Globally important nesting

populations are found within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl and the neighboring province of Bocas delToro. Females also migrate through the Comarca

en route to/from feeding grounds. There are alsopotential feeding grounds for this species located

in the Comarca and Bocas del Toro province.


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VIABILITY ASSESSMENTKEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND INDICATORS

To facilitate the determination of the viability, and ultimately the status of each ofthe focal targets, a series of key ecological attributes (KEA) were identified. Asdefined in the Conservation Action Planning Handbook (TNC, 2007), KEAs areAspects of a targets biology or ecology that, if missing or altered, would lead to

the loss of that targetover time. As such, KEAs define the targets viability orintegrity. To assess the status of the focal target, each KEA was assigned atleast one associated measureable indicator. Table 3 summarizes the KEAsdefined for each of the focal targets, and their indicators.

Table 3. KEAs and associated indicators for focal conservation targets

Focal target Key ecological attribute Indicator

Leatherback turtle

Nest survivorship % of nests surviving

Availability of suitablenesting habitat

% of total km of nestingbeach available

Availability of safeforaging, mating andmigration habitat

# of incidents of illegal

activities recordedduring government

agency patrols


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Table 3. Continued

Focal target Key ecological attribute Indicator

Green turtle

Nest survivorship % of nests surviving

Adult female survivorship% of females returning to

sea after nesting

Juvenile survivorship# juvenile turtles

confiscated duringmarine patrols

Availability of suitablenesting habitat

% of total km of nestingbeach available

Availability of safeforaging, mating and

migration habitat

# of incidents of illegalactivities recordedduring governmentagencies patrols

STATUS OF KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES

To assign each KEA a current status level, which will be compared following theimplementation of the conservation plan, to assess the effectiveness of theproposed activities, it was necessary to establish an acceptable range ofvariation for each KEA within which the focal target needs to remain to be


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analyses that identify the stresses and sources of stress for the focal targets willprovide greater detail about the major threats to sea turtles in the ComarcaNgbe-Bugl; thus allowing the most appropriate indicators to be selected toeffectively evaluate the success of the proposed protection and conservationstrategies once the plan is implemented.


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COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT15

Table 4. Summary of indicators, indicator rankings, current status and the current and desired ranking for eachKEA determined for focal conservation targets

Focal target Category KEA Indicator

Indicator ranking Currentstatus

Currentranking

DesiredrankingPoor Fair Good Very Good

Leatherbackturtle

Size Nest survivorship% of nestssurviving

< 50% 50 75% 76 90% > 90% 76 90% Good Very good

Landscapecontext

Availability ofsuitable nesting

habitat

% of total km ofnesting beach

available< 50% 50 75% 76 90% > 90% 76 90% Good Very good

Landscapecontext


migration habitat

# of incidents ofillegal activities

recordedduring government

agency patrols

>10 5 - 10 3 - 5 < 3 < 3 Very good

Hawksbill turtle

Size Nest survivorship % of nestssurviving

< 50% 50 75% 76 90% > 90% 50 75% Fair Very good

ConditionAdult femalesurvivorship

% of femalesreturning to sea

after nesting< 90% 90 94% 95 98% > 98% 95 98% Good Very good

Condition Juvenile survivorship# juvenile turtles

confiscated> 10 6 10 1 5 0 1 - 5 Fair Very good

Landscapecontext


habitat



Landscapecontext

Availability of safe

foraging, mating andmigration habitat

# of incidents ofillegal activities

recordedduring governmentagency patrols

>10 5 - 10 3 - 5 < 3 3 5 Good Very good


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Table 4. Continued

Focal target Category KEA IndicatorIndicator ranking Current

status

Current

ranking

Desired

rankingPoor Fair Good Very Good

Green turtle

Size Nest survivorship% of nestssurviving

< 50% 50 75% 76 90% > 90% >90% Very good Very good

ConditionAdult femalesurvivorship

% of femalesreturning to sea

after nesting< 90% 90 94% 95 98% > 98% >98% Very good >Very good

Condition Juvenile survivorship# juvenile turtles

confiscated> 10 6 10 1 5 0 6 10 Fair Very good

Landscapecontext


habitat



Landscapecontext


migration habitat

# of incidents of

illegal activitiesrecorded

during governmentagency patrols

>10 5 - 10 3 - 5 < 3 5 10 Fair Very good


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STRESSES, AND SOURCES OF STRESS

Stresses are defined in TNC (2007) as impaired aspects of[focal]conservation targets that are likely to destroy or seriously degrade your targetsand that result directly or indirectly from human sources; in the case of seaturtles, an example might be reduced nest survivorship. A comprehensive list ofstresses was determined for each of the focal targets identified previously (SeeTable 5). Each of these stresses was then ranked with respect to the severity ofthe impact on the focal target and the geographical scope of the damage within

the targets range (See Tables 6 and 7). The ranking definitions were taken fromTNC (2005).

Table 5. List of stresses for each focal target

Focal target Stress Stress code

Leatherbackturtle

Reduced nest survivorship 1

Reduced adult survivorship 2

Degradation of nesting habitat 3

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat 4

Hawksbill turtle

Reduced nest survivorship 1

Reduced adult survivorship 2

Degradation of nesting habitat 3


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Table 6. Definition of rankings for severity of impact and scope ofdamage of stresses

Ranking Severity of impact Scope of damage

Low Slightly impair Very localized

Medium Moderately degrade Localized

High Seriously degrade Widespread

Very High Destroy or eliminate Very widespread

Table 7. Ranking of stresses for each focal target

Focal

target

Stress

code

1 Severity ScopeStress

ranking

Leatherbackturtle

1 Very High High High

2 Very High Low Low

3 High High High

4 Medium High Medium

1 Very High High High

2 V Hi h M di M di


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For each stress there is an associated source (cause), or various sources, whichresult in the stress on the focal target; for example, reduced nest survivorshipcould be the result of predation by domestic dogs, or the illegal take of eggs byhumans. A list of sources related to the stresses identified above for each focaltarget was determined (See Table 8). Each source was then ranked with respectto its contribution to the stress, and the level of irreversibility, ie. if the effect ispermanent or could potentially be reversed (See Tables 9 and 10). The rankingdefinitions were taken from TNC (2005).

Table 8. Sources of stress for focal targets

Focaltarget

Stresscode1

SourceSourcecode

Leatherbackturtle

1

Predation by domestic dogs A

Illegal take of eggs by humans B

Loss of nests due to tidal erosion C2 Incidental capture in artisanal fisheries D

3

Degradation of nesting habitat due to light pollution E

Loss of nesting habitat due to costal development F

Degradation or loss of nesting habitat due to climatechange

G

4

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due topollution

H

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due toI


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Table 8. Continued

Focaltarget

Stresscode1

SourceSourcecode

Hawksbill

turtle

4

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due topollution

H

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due tocoastal development

I

Degradation or loss of near-shore marine habitatdue to climate change

J

5 Directed take in artisanal fisheries K

Green turtle

1

Predation by domestic dogs A

Illegal take of eggs by humans B

Loss of nests due to tidal erosion C

2

Directed take in artisanal fisheries K

Illegal take of adult females from the nestingbeach

L

3

Degradation of nesting habitat due to light pollution E

Loss of nesting habitat due to costal development F

Degradation or loss of nesting habitat due to climatechange

G

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due toH


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Table 9. Definition of rankings for contribution and irreversibility ofsources of stress

Ranking Contribution Irreversibility

Low SmallEasily reversible atrelatively low cost

Medium Moderate

Reversible, with

reasonable resources

High LargeReversible, but not

practically affordable

Very High Very largeNot reversible, for allintents and purposes


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Table 10. Ranking of sources for each stress, for focal targets

Focal target Stress code1 Source code2 Contribution Irreversibility Source ranking

Leatherback turtle

1A Very High Medium HighB Medium Medium Medium

C Low High Medium

2 D Low Medium Low

3

E Low Low Low

F Medium High Medium

G Medium High Medium

4

H Low High Low

I Medium High LowJ Medium High Low

Hawksbill turtle

1

A Very High Medium High

B Medium Medium Medium

C Low High Medium

2K High Medium Low

L High Medium Low

3

E Low Low Low

F Medium High MediumG Medium High Medium

4

H Low High Low

I Medium High Low

J Medium High Low

5 K High Medium Low


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Table 10. Continued

Focal target Stress code1 Source code2 Contribution Irreversibility Source ranking

Green turtle

1A Low Medium Low

B Low Medium Low

C Low High Medium

2K High Medium Low

L High Medium Low

3

E Low Low Low

F Medium High Medium

G Medium High Medium

4

H Low High Low

I Medium High Low

J Medium High Low

5 K High Medium Low1 Source codes are defined in Table 5; 2 Source codes are defined in Table 8


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From this analysis it is clear that the critical threat to leatherback and hawksbillturtles within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl is the depredation of nests by domesticdogs; while this threat remains very localized (only observed at the principalnesting site of Chiriqu Beach), the impacts pose a severe threat to these twocritically endangered species. Some threats that have been identified, such asdirect capture of juvenile and adult turtles in artisanal fisheries, were not found tobe critical; however, there is possibly insignificant data on the current level ofillegal take at sea to accurately assess the risk to hawksbill and green turtlepopulations in the region. Other threats that were identified include illegal take of

eggs, and the loss of suitable nesting habitat, either through coastaldevelopment, or as a result of an increase in sea level as a result of climatechange.

SITUATION ANALYSISAppendix 1 shows a diagram of the situation analysis, which illustrates the

connectivity between the different sources of stress for the focal targets. Thepurple boxes in the diagram represent the threats, or sources of stress, to thefocal targets (green boxes). As can be seen in the diagram, the majority ofthreats to the survival of the three focal targets are anthropogenic in nature;coastal development, a continued demand for turtle products such as eggs ormeat and a lack of control of domestic dogs on the nesting beach. The impact ofthe continuing demand for sea turtle products is exacerbated by the lack ofadequate enforcement of laws pertaining to sea turtles (shown by the blue box).

The focal targets are also subject to the, as yet unquantified, impact that climatechange may have on sea turtle conservation; either directly on the focal targetspecies, or on the critical habitats (shown in dark green boxes) on which theydepend within the Comarca and neighboring Bocas del Toro Province


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Comarca leaders:

Amado Bordones, Substitute Leader (Casique Suplente) Eugenio Jurez, o Kribo Regional Leader (Casique Regional o Kribo) Genaro Smith, Substitute General Leader (Cacique General Suplente) Iginio Duncan, Technical Commission (Comisin Tcnica) Santiago Smith, Advisor (Asesor) Willy Jimnez, President of o Kribo Regional Congress (Presidente

Congreso Regional o Kribo)

Coastal indigenous communities in the Comarca and Bocas del ToroProvince including:

Cayo Paloma Guacamaya Kusapin Playa Roja Ro Caa Ro Chiriqu

Ro Diablo (Ro Bonito) Tobobe Communities adjacent to the Valiente Peninsula

Government authorities responsible for enforcement of environmental lawspertaining to sea turtles; representatives should be at national, regional andComarca level:

ANAM

Csar Pineda, Regional Administrator for the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl Concepcin Gutirrez, o Kribo Region Ibelice Anio, Director of Protected Areas and Wildlife


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Government entities responsible for coastal development and managementincluding:

ANAM

ARAP

ATP

MEDUCA

MICI

MIDA MIVIOT

Local municipal government

National Police of Panama

RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS1. Continue to evaluate the status of focal conservation targets within the

Comarca Ngbe-Bugl, and refine the KEAs, associated indicators andacceptable ecological limits of indicators to be used in the Sea TurtleConservation Plan.

2. Conduct a series of meetings with key stakeholder groups in the Comarca

Ngbe-Bugl to discuss sea turtles, the principal threats to their survival in theComarca and neighboring Bocas del Toro province, and review proposedactivities to reduce negative impacts on turtles and their key habitats, and toreceive local opinion on the conservation plan.


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Resolucin AG-0346 de 17 de agosto de 2004. Que Declara el Humedal deImportancia Internacional Damani-Guariviara, en la regin de kribo, ComarcaNgbe Bugl. (G.O. 25,136 de 14 de septiembre de 2004)

Resolucin AG-0095 de septiembre 2009. Que Declara el Paisaje Protegido IslaEscudo de Veraguas - Dego, en la regin de kribo, Comarca Ngbe Bugl.

Sea Turtle Conservancy, 2010. Baseline Report on the Status of Sea TurtlePopulations in Bocas del Toro Province and the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl.

Unpublished report submitted to USAID. Pp. 25.TNC, 2005. Powerpoint presentation entitled Five-S Framework forConservation Planning: Stresses and Sources. The Nature Conservancy,

Arlington. VA.

TNC, 2007. Conservation Action Planning Handbook: Developing Strategies,Taking Action and Measuring Success at Any Scale. The Nature Conservancy,

Arlington. VA. Pp. 127.


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APPENDIX 1SITUATION ANALYSIS SHOWING SOURCES OF STRESS FOR FOCAL TARGETS

Demand forturtle eggs

Demand forhawksbill shell

Lack of lawenforcement

Lack of controlof domestic

dogs

Direct take in artisanal fisheries

Incidental capture in artisanal fisheries

Depredation of nests by domestic dogs

Loss of nests due to tidal erosion

Climatechange

Sea level riseDegradation of near-shore marine habitat

due to climate change

Degradation or loss of nesting beachhabitat due to climate change

Near-shore marinehabitat

Nesting beachhabitat

Green turtleChelonia mydas

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys

imbricata

Leatherback turtleDermochelys

coriacea

Illegal take of adult females from thenesting beach

Illegal take of eggsby humans

Demand forturtle meat

Degradation of near-shore marinehabitat due to pollution

Degradation of nesting beach habitatdue to coastal development

Degradation of near-shore marine habitatdue to coastal development

Coastaldevelopment

Degradation of nesting beach habitatdue to artificial light

Comarca Ngobe-Bugle Sea Turtle Assessment

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