Hoetjes, P.C.

Until the early 1990s, information on sea turtle nesting in the Netherlands Antilles amounted to little more than a few anecdotal accounts and sea turtle nesting was considered nothing more than a rare or accidental occurrence. However, several recent studies have found significant levels of sea turtle nesting activity and have served as an important impetus to successful implementation of new conservation measures and initiatives. We pre- sent and discuss new information that documents several additional sea turtle nesting beaches for con- servation on four Caribbean islands, and that can serve as baseline data for future reference. While most studies elsewhere have focused on large sea turtle nesting beaches, our findings support the idea that small, scattered nesting beaches could cumulatively contribute significantly to both reproductive output and recovery potential of several species when examined on a regional scale.

Coral reefs are one of the most sensitive ecosystems and are under enormous human pressure. Since a relative short period of time the impact of nutrient pollution is understood. On the Caribbean islands human, local population and tourists, pressure is getting worse. Bonaire and Curacao, and in a later stadium Saint Lucia, are monitoring the nutrient pollution on their reefs.

This monitoring program includes water sampling, reef cover analysis by video transects, chlorophyll < analysis, nitrogen isotope analysis from algae and fish stock counts. The preliminary results are showingreasons for concern. The reefs of Bonaire are at the thresholds of polluted values found by Lapointe. The situation on Curacao is even more concerning; the sites at the Mega Pier and Piscadera Bay are polluted higher than the thresholds.

Well waste water management is needed on both islands and for Curacao a reduction of the impact of pollution for the two polluted sites is necessary. These measures are needed to guarantee a healthy coastline, beautiful coral reefs and a sustainable tourist industry.

The data of the study can be found here

With ‘Nature’ funding from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and support of the local governments several projects are now running to maintain and sustain nature in the Dutch Caribbean.

This news article was published in BioNews 2-2017. 

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

On November 24th 2015, the Committee for the joint management of Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries (CMBF) of the Dutch Caribbean (aka EEZ Committee) met on Bonaire for its twice yearly meeting. The EEZ Committee consists of representatives of each of the islands and the Netherlands, who have signed the agreement for joint management of the EEZ waters (EEZ agreement). 

This news article was published in BioNews 23.

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

In 2012 France established a marine mammal sanctuary, named Agoa after “Maï d’Agoa”, Mother or Spirit of the Water in Amerindian mythology. The Agoa Sanctuary comprises all of the French Caribbean waters, surrounding Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barth’s and St. Martin. This French initiative was one of the motivations for the establishment of the Yarari Sanctuary in the Caribbean Netherlands last year and there has been close cooperation with Agoa, in particular in marine mammal surveys and other research work. After the establishment of Yarari, Agoa invited Paul Hoetjes to give a presentation on the Yarari Sanctuary during their annual management board meeting. 

This news article was published in BioNews 22

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The Scientific Committee (SC) of the IAC meets annually to discuss the annual reports of the member countries, and threats and impacts on sea turtles on both sides of the American continent. The members consist of scientific experts on sea turtles delegated by the member countries. The Caribbean Netherlands has delegated an expert on Caribbean sea turtles, Dr. Julia Horrocks of the University of the West Indies in Barbados. The SC met in Chile this time. Paul Hoetjes participated as Chair of the Consultative Committee, the other, more policy oriented advisory body of the IAC. The Scientific Committee has several working groups that focus on specific issue. The fisheries WG looks at interactions between sea turtles and fisheries. They are currently looking at an ongoing survey of ‘non-crustacean’ trawling fisheries in member countries to assess its impact on sea turtles. A new Loggerhead turtle WG was formed in response to a Loggerhead resolution passed last year by the Conference of Parties. They will work on a report on Loggerhead populations. The Eastern Pacific Leatherback WG is looking at actions to address the alarming decrease in nesting seen in Eastern Pacific Leatherback turtles, they are working with the Fisheries WG as well , and outside the Scientific committee in a broader task force with the Countries on the West Coast of the Americas, from the USA to Chile. Interactions with artisanal fisheries, the suspected main cause of the decrease, is currently being assessed, and training programs to minimize interactions are taking place. Main outcomes of the meeting:

• The reports of the three countries that have claimed an exception for traditional subsistence harvest of sea turtles, Panama, Guatemala and Costa Rica, were reviewed. Recommendations were made to ensure the sustainability of this use.
• The meeting discussed and approved a Technical Document, ”Mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on nesting beaches” drafted by the Climate Change WG, led by Dr. Julia Horrocks.
• Dr. Horrocks will coordinate a WG with the USA to develop a format to better collect information on climate change parameters on index beaches, to be included in the annual report format so countries can more easily report on their efforts to implement the Resolution on Adaptation of Sea Turtle Habitat to Climate Change.
• Another technical document approved at the meeting was titled “Marine Debris Impacts on Sea Turtles”. The Stranding WG did a preliminary analysis of a questionnaire sent to the member countries they will prepare a technical document on sea turtle strandings for the next meeting.

The full report of the 12th SC meeting is available here

This news article was published in BioNews 21. BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

In December 2014, the 8th SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Protocol Conference of Parties (COP8) in Cartagena, Colombia, recognized three new protected areas in the Dutch Caribbean as being of regional significance: St. Eustatius National Marine Park, Saba National Marine park, and the St. Maarten “Man of War Shoal” Marine Park. 

This news article was published in BioNews 18.

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The Inter-American Sea Turtle Convention (IAC) convened its seventh Conference of Parties (COP 7) in Mexico City in June this year. Two resolutions were adopted with specific measures aimed at improving the protection of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle. In addition the meeting adopted a resolution with recommendations for Costa Rica’s recognized exception for sustainable traditional subsistence use of Olive Ridley eggs.

This news article was published in BioNews 17.

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Overseas Countries, Territories and Regions (OCT/Ors) of Europe working together for sustainable management and research of biodiversity

In June, 2015, the NetBiome partnership of Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Spanish OCT/Ors met in Reunion to discuss progress and next steps for the partnership. The main topics were the outcome of a series of stakeholder consultations addressing four common high priority challenges for biodiversity management, and how to consolidate that into a policy brief. Also discussed was the status of an online “Biodiversity Toolbox”, being compiled from the information collected by the partnership, and how to continue the partnership when the current EU funding ends in 2016.

This news article was published in BioNews 17.

BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A small submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to explore mid-depth habitats of Saba Bank – a submerged carbonate platform in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The ROV enabled observation and specimen collection to greater depths (40 to > 150 m) than possible with conventional scuba methods. The topography, substrate, benthic communities and fish assemblages of a prominent front reef system at Overall Bank were examined in some detail. Observations made from ROV indicate that substrate and benthic communities show consistent zonation patterns along the depth gradient of the front reef slope. A transition in the reef fish assemblage was also evident, though less pronounced, along this same depth gradient. Fish diversity (number of species observed per survey) was greatest in the reef crest zone and declined with depth, however sightings of commercially important lutjanids species such as silk and blackfin snapper increased with depth. Significant cover by reef-building corals (i.e. constructional reef development) was only evident in the reef crest zone, and terminated at 38 to 42 m depth. Substrate of the transition slope zone, from 42 m to 75 m depth, was primarily a hard bottom consisting of consolidated reef structures and rubble with sand interspersed. Sponges, gorgonians and macro algae dominated the benthic community there. In the deep slope zone (> 75 m depth), a soft bottom substrate predominated that was composed of fine, readily resuspended sediments together with scattered rubble fragments. Benthic invertebrates were very sparse in the deep slope zone. In addition to the surveys at Overall Bank, four ROV surveys were made at two other Saba Bank areas: Poison Bank and Grapplers Bank. The substrate at Poison Bank was comprised of coralline algal nodules or “rhodoliths” which formed extensive rhodoliths beds. At Grapplers Bank, a steep rocky escarpment was explored. The near-vertical rocky scarp began at 120 m depth and extended down slope beyond the limits of the ROV survey (157 m depth). Observations made from ROV at Overall Bank suggested a continuous reef system that is relatively uniform and predictable at mid-depths in terms of its structure, substrate composition, and community zonation patterns. In contrast, the few observations made by ROV at Poison Bank and Grapplers Bank revealed habitats that were quite different from those at Overall Bank. This implies that future ROV explorations to new areas of Saba Bank are likely to reveal still greater diversity in mid-depth habitat types.