Aerial view of Rio Caa and the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl

USAID PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES
6 August 2012
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by the Sea Turtle Conservancy (formerly Caribbean Conservation Corporation) under a Sub-Task Order issued by Chemonics.

COMARCA NGBEBUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

Prime Contract and Task Order No. EPP-I-00-04-00020-00, Task Order #5 Subcontract Number EPP-I-00-04-00020-00-CCC Deliverable Number 1.2

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COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

CONTENTS
List 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 ................................................................... 12 Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators......................................... 12 Status of Key Ecological Attributes ................................................. 13 Stresses, and Sources of Stress ..................................................... 17 Situation Analysis ........................................................................ 24 Key Stakeholders ........................................................................ 24 Recommended Next Steps .......................................................... 26 Bibliography ................................................................................. 26 Appendices ................................................................................... 28 Appendix 1 ..................................................................................... 28

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COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl in Panama............................................................................................ 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 within the 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 ............................................................................................ 12 Table 4. Summary of indicators, indicator rankings, current status and the current and desired ranking for each KEA determined for focal conservation targets............................................................... 15 Table 5. List of stresses for each focal target ................................. 17 Table 6. Definition of rankings for severity of impact and scope of damage of stresses ....................................................................... 18 Table 7. Ranking of stresses for each focal target ......................... 18 Table 8. Sources of stress for focal targets .................................... 19 Table 9. Definition of ranking for contribution and irreversibility of sources of stress ............................................................................ 20 Table 10. Ranking of sources for each stress, for focal targets ...... 21
iv COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

LIST OF ACRONYMS
ANABOCA ANAM ANATI Bocas Hawksbill Assocation (Asociacion Natural Bocas Carey) National Environment Authority (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente) National Authority of Land Administration (Autoridad Nacional de Administracin de Tierras)

Assocation for the Protection of Ngbe-Bugl Natural APRORENANB Resources (Associacin para la Proteccin de los Recursos Naturales Ngbe-Bugl) ARAP ATP CAP KEA MAREA MEDUCA MICI MIDA MIVIOT STC TNC Authority of the Aquatic Resources of Panama (Autoridad de los Recursos Acuaticos de Panama) Tourism Authority of Panama (Autoridad de Turismo de Panama) Conservation Action Planning Key Ecological Attribute Management of Aquatic Rescources and Economic Alternatives Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educacin) Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias) Ministry of Agricultural Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario) Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning (Ministerio de Vivienda y Ordenamiento Territorial) Sea Turtle Conservancy The Nature Conservancy

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY
This report provides an assessment of the sea turtle populations within the Comarca Ngbe1-Bugl, Panama, conducted by Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) staff in July, 2012 as part of the development of a five year sea turtle conservation plan for the Comarca. The assessment was based on the results of long-term monitoring and conservation activities that have been conducted by STC 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 of key stakeholder groups to be involved in the conservation plan development process. It was based on The Nature Conservancys (TNC) Conservation Action Planning (CAP) process, detailed in TNC (2007). This assessment was one of the activities included in the STCs task order for year two of the USAID Regional Program for the Management of Aquatic Resources and Economic Alternatives (MAREA).

PROJECT SITE DESCRIPTION

The 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 is comprised 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 mountain range, which separates two geographical regions: the Atlantic or Caribbean, approximately 40% of which is covered in primary forest and where the rivers are short and deep, and the Pacific which is very deforested, with large rivers that run towards the sea. The organization, administration and operation of the Comarca are subject to the special regime established in Law #10, and the political constitution of Panama. The two indigenous groups that reside in the Comarca inhabited the region long before it was formalized legally. Within the approximately 7,000 km2 that comprises the Comarca territory there are thought to be over 150,000 people living in small, isolated communities. Four species of sea turtles have been recorded in the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl and the neighboring Bocas del Toro Province; the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and
1

There is some discussion over whether the spelling should be Ngbe or Ngbe; for consistency with previous reports, the STC will use Ngbe in this document, as there does not appear to be an official response from the Comarca about this debate. 6 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and the region contains important nesting, migration and foraging sites for various life stages of these different species.

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl in Panama From 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 in Bocas del Toro Province and the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl (Sea Turtle Conservancy, 2010), there is documented historical use of sea turtle eggs and meat within the Comarca; specifically the killing of green turtles for food and hawksbills to meet the demands of the international hawksbill trade. However, it should also be noted that the first turtle conservation measures were initiated by concerned members of the coastal communities in response to an observed decline in the number of nests laid at beaches in the region. Since 2001, there have been active measures to protect and conserve sea turtles within the Comarca, with efforts focused on nesting populations of leatherback and hawksbill turtles at Chiriqu Beach and several smaller satellite beaches (See Figure 2).

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

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

VISION STATEMENT
Given the historical importance of the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl and the neighboring Bocas del Toro province for sea turtles (Meylan et al., In Press), and the documented presence in the region of various life stages of several turtle species, the implementation of a sea turtle conservation plan is imperative to ensure the protection not only of the turtles and their nests, but also key critical habitats which are vital for the long-term survival of these globally important turtle populations. Monitoring activities within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl since 1996 have highlighted the current principal threats facing sea turtles and their habitats; the majority of these threats are anthropogenic in nature, such as illegal fishing activities in near shore waters and the depredation of nests by domestic dogs, but there are also several natural threats, such as beach erosion leading to the loss of suitable nesting habitat. In 1996, local interest was generated in the Ro Caa community to conserve the hawksbill turtles that nest on Chiriqu Beach. The Association for the Protection of the Ngbe-Bugl Natural Resources (APRORENANB) was formed, and initial protection measures were implemented, in which turtle harvest was permitted only every other year (information given by APRORENANB). From 1999 to 2002, short periods of field research provided a preliminary indication of the problems
8 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

facing nesting females on Chiriqu Beach (Ordoez 1999-2002, unpublished data). This work highlighted both the importance of the beach for leatherback nesting, and the decline in hawksbill nesting. In 2002, a consortium of interested people and organizations was formed and initiated meetings with national and local authorities, local conservation groups and indigenous communities to assess their interest in establishing a long-term hawksbill conservation program on Chiriqu Beach. A decision was made to also include 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 entire 24km of Chiriqu Beach. This wetland is also a listed RAMSAR site. The other protected 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 (533 hectares) component around Escudo de Veraguas Island (Resolution AG- 00952009).

Figure 3. Maps showing the location of two protected areas within the Comarca NgbeBugl. From http://burica.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/humedal-damani-guariviara.jpg http://burica.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/paisaje-protegido-isla-escudo-de-veraguas-dego/

COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

These protected areas are of great biological value, for they include a great diversity of flora and fauna within a variety of ecosystems; including, among others, several sea turtle species, manatee (Trichechus manatus) and the Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). In addition, the areas support two indigenous ethnic groups (Ngbe and Bugl) who are considered to be among the oldest tribes in Panama. The process of developing a five-year sea turtle conservation plan for the Comarca 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 tool to guide resource management decisions within the Comarca that could impact sea turtles or their habitats. It is hoped that the actions proposed in the plan will be successfully implemented to reduce key threats to sea turtles to within acceptable limits, such that there will be an overall positive effect on turtle populations. This could be achieved, for example, through increased survivorship of nests, improved hatching success or reduced illegal take of turtles from the near-shore habitat as a result of more effective protection measures by government authorities. The primary aim, simply stated, is to ensure the longterm survival of sea turtles within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl.

SELECTION OF FOCAL TARGETS

As detailed in the Conservation Action Planning Handbook (TNC, 2007), one of the initial steps in developing a conservation plan is to select the focal conservation targets. The nature of these targets will define the proposed conservation actions and strategies, and they will also be used to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the plan, by comparing their status before and after its implementation. Focal targets can be ecological systems, communities or even individual species that are endangered or representative of a community or system. Table 1 provides a list of the focal conservation targets selected for the sea turtle conservation plan for the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl. Table 1. List of focal conservation targets

Target name
Leatherback turtle Hawksbill turtle Green turtle

Scale
Species level Species level Species level

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The reason why each of the focal targets listed above were selected is detailed in Table 2. The three sea turtle species listed in Table 2 could be viewed as a nested group of conservation targets, for they have similar ecological requirements and certain threats in common, for example, the illegal take of eggs. However, because there are also other significant threats that are unique to each individual species, such as the hunting of hawksbills for their shell, it was deemed more appropriate to consider each species independently for the conservation plan. Table 2. Explanation of the selection of focal conservation targets

Target name

Reason for selection

Leatherback turtles are classified as critically endangered. Globally important nesting populations are found within the Comarca NgbeBugl and the neighboring province of Bocas del Toro2. Females also migrate through the Comarca en route to/from feeding grounds. Hawksbill turtles are classified as critically endangered. Globally important nesting populations are found within the Comarca NgbeBugl and the neighboring province of Bocas del Toro. Females also migrate through the Comarca en route to/from feeding grounds. There are also potential feeding grounds for this species located in the Comarca and Bocas del Toro province. Green turtles are classified as endangered. While nesting of this species is scarce in the Comarca, there are juvenile developmental habitats in Bocas del Toro province. The region also acts as a migration habitat and mating area for adult green turtles heading to other nesting sites.

Leatherback turtle

Hawksbill turtle

Green turtle

Due to the highly migratory nature of sea turtles, and the documented movement of individuals between the Comarca and Bocas del Toro province, and internationally, it is relevant to mention the province in this table, and the conservation plan in general because activities in this neighboring province can have a direct impact on the survival of turtles in the Comarca, and hence on the overall effectiveness of the conservation plan. 11 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

VIABILITY ASSESSMENT
KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND INDICATORS
To facilitate the determination of the viability, and ultimately the status of each of the focal targets, a series of key ecological attributes (KEA) were identified. As defined in the Conservation Action Planning Handbook (TNC, 2007), KEAs are Aspects of a targets biology or ecology that, if missing or altered, would lead to the loss of that target over time. As such, KEAs define the targets viability or integrity. To assess the status of the focal target, each KEA was assigned at least one associated measureable indicator. Table 3 summarizes the KEAs defined for each of the focal targets, and their indicators. Table 3. KEAs and associated indicators for focal conservation targets Focal target Key ecological attribute Nest survivorship Availability of suitable nesting habitat Leatherback turtle Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat Nest survivorship Adult female survivorship # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agency patrols % of nests surviving % of females returning to sea after nesting # juvenile turtles confiscated during marine patrols % of total km of nesting beach available # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agency patrols Indicator % of nests surviving % of total km of nesting beach available

Juvenile survivorship Hawksbill turtle Availability of suitable nesting habitat Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat

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Table 3. Continued Focal target Key ecological attribute Nest survivorship Adult female survivorship Indicator % of nests surviving % of females returning to sea after nesting # juvenile turtles confiscated during marine patrols % of total km of nesting beach available # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agencies patrols

Juvenile survivorship Green turtle Availability of suitable nesting habitat Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat

STATUS OF KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES

To assign each KEA a current status level, which will be compared following the implementation of the conservation plan, to assess the effectiveness of the proposed activities, it was necessary to establish an acceptable range of variation for each KEA, within which the focal target needs to remain to be ecologically viable. Once these limits had been established the current status and rating of each KEA was determined; in addition, the desired rating was also defined. For some KEAs it was possible to determine a value for each of the four indicator ratings (poor, fair, good and very good); however, for others it was only possible to assign a value to some of the categories. For those KEAs additional information is required to fill those gaps, which could imply further scientific study to gather the necessary data. Table 4 lists each focal target, KEA, indicator, acceptable range of variation, and the current and desired rating. It is encouraging to observe from Table 4 that the current status ranking for the majority of KEA indicators is good; there are only a couple of indicators for which the present situation indicates that the ranking is only fair (percentage nest survivorship and number of juvenile turtles confiscated during marine patrols for hawksbills, and number of juvenile turtles confiscated and number of illegal activities reported during marine patrols for green turtles). Thus from this initial assessment of the current status of leatherback, hawksbill and green turtle populations within the Comarca the results are encouraging. The following
13 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

analyses that identify the stresses and sources of stress for the focal targets will provide greater detail about the major threats to sea turtles in the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl; thus allowing the most appropriate indicators to be selected to effectively evaluate the success of the proposed protection and conservation strategies once the plan is implemented.

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Table 4. Summary of indicators, indicator rankings, current status and the current and desired ranking for each KEA determined for focal conservation targets
Focal target Category
Size Landscape context

KEA
Nest survivorship Availability of suitable nesting habitat Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat

Indicator
Poor % of nests surviving % of total km of nesting beach available # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agency patrols % of nests surviving % of females returning to sea after nesting # juvenile turtles confiscated % of total km of nesting beach available # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agency patrols < 50% < 50%

Indicator ranking
Fair 50 75% 50 75% Good 76 90% 76 90% Very Good > 90% > 90%

Current status
76 90% 76 90%

Current ranking
Good Good

Desired ranking
Very good Very good

Leatherback turtle

Landscape context

>10

5 - 10

3-5

<3

<3

Very good

Size Condition Condition Hawksbill turtle Landscape context

Nest survivorship Adult female survivorship Juvenile survivorship Availability of suitable nesting habitat Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat

< 50% < 90% > 10 < 50%

50 75% 90 94% 6 10 50 75%

76 90% 95 98% 15 76 90%

> 90% > 98% 0 > 90%

50 75% 95 98% 1-5 76 90%

Fair Good Fair Good

Very good Very good Very good Very good

Landscape context

>10

5 - 10

3-5

<3

35

Good

Very good

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Table 4. Continued
Focal target Category
Size Condition Condition Green turtle Landscape context

KEA
Nest survivorship Adult female survivorship Juvenile survivorship Availability of suitable nesting habitat Availability of safe foraging, mating and migration habitat

Indicator
% of nests surviving % of females returning to sea after nesting # juvenile turtles confiscated % of total km of nesting beach available # of incidents of illegal activities recorded during government agency patrols

Indicator ranking
Poor < 50% < 90% > 10 < 50% Fair 50 75% 90 94% 6 10 50 75% Good 76 90% 95 98% 15 76 90% Very Good > 90% > 98% 0 > 90%

Current status
>90% >98% 6 10 76 90%

Current ranking
Very good Very good Fair Good

Desired ranking
Very good >Very good Very good Very good

Landscape context

>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 targets and that result directly or indirectly from human sources; in the case of sea turtles, an example might be reduced nest survivorship. A comprehensive list of stresses was determined for each of the focal targets identified previously (See Table 5). Each of these stresses was then ranked with respect to the severity of the 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 from TNC (2005). Table 5. List of stresses for each focal target

Focal target

Stress
Reduced nest survivorship

Stress code
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Leatherback turtle

Reduced adult survivorship Degradation of nesting habitat Degradation of near-shore marine habitat Reduced nest survivorship Reduced adult survivorship

Hawksbill turtle

Degradation of nesting habitat Degradation of near-shore marine habitat Reduced juvenile survivorship Reduced nest survivorship Reduced adult survivorship

Green turtle

Degradation of nesting habitat Degradation of near-shore marine habitat Reduced juvenile survivorship

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

Ranking
Low Medium High Very High

Severity of impact
Slightly impair Moderately degrade Seriously degrade Destroy or eliminate

Scope of damage
Very localized Localized Widespread Very widespread

Table 7. Ranking of stresses for each focal target

Focal target

Stress code1
1

Severity
Very High Very High High Medium Very High Very High High Medium Very High Very High Very High High Medium Very High

Scope
High Low High High High Medium High High Medium High Medium High High Medium

Stress ranking
High Low High Medium High Medium High Medium Medium High Medium High Medium Medium

Leatherback turtle

2 3 4 1 2

Hawksbill turtle

3 4 5 1 2

Green turtle

3 4 5

Stress codes are defined in Table 5

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

Focal target

Stress code1
1 2

Source
Predation by domestic dogs Illegal take of eggs by humans Loss of nests due to tidal erosion Incidental capture in artisanal fisheries Degradation of nesting habitat due to light pollution

Source code
A B C D E F G H I J A B C K L E F G

Leatherback turtle

Loss of nesting habitat due to costal development Degradation or loss of nesting habitat due to climate change Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to pollution

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to coastal development Degradation or loss of near-shore marine habitat due to climate change Predation by domestic dogs

Illegal take of eggs by humans Loss of nests due to tidal erosion

Directed take in artisanal fisheries Hawksbill turtle 2 Illegal take of adult females from the nesting beach
Degradation of nesting habitat due to light pollution Loss of nesting habitat due to costal development Degradation or loss of nesting habitat due to climate change

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Table 8. Continued

Focal target

Stress code1

Source
Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to pollution

Source code
H I J K A B C K L E F G H I J K

Hawksbill turtle

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to coastal development Degradation or loss of near-shore marine habitat due to climate change

5 1

Directed take in artisanal fisheries

Predation by domestic dogs Illegal take of eggs by humans Loss of nests due to tidal erosion

Directed take in artisanal fisheries 2 Illegal take of adult females from the nesting beach
Degradation of nesting habitat due to light pollution Loss of nesting habitat due to costal development Degradation or loss of nesting habitat due to climate change Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to pollution

Green turtle

Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to coastal development Degradation or loss of near-shore marine habitat due to climate change

5
1

Directed take in artisanal fisheries

Stress codes are defined in Table 5

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

Ranking
Low Medium High Very High

Contribution
Small Moderate Large Very large

Irreversibility
Easily reversible at relatively low cost Reversible, with reasonable resources Reversible, but not practically affordable Not reversible, for all intents and purposes

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

Focal target

Stress code1
1 2

Source code2
A B C D E F G H

Contribution
Very High Medium Low Low Low Medium Medium Low Medium Medium Very High Medium Low High High Low Medium Medium Low Medium Medium High

Irreversibility
Medium Medium High Medium Low High High High High High Medium Medium High Medium Medium Low High High High High High Medium

Source ranking
High Medium Medium Low Low Medium Medium Low Low Low High Medium Medium Low Low Low Medium Medium Low Low Low Low

Leatherback turtle

I J A

B C K L E F G H

2 Hawksbill turtle

4 5

I J K

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Table 10. Continued

Focal target

Stress code1
1

Source code2
A B C K L E F G H

Contribution
Low Low Low High High Low Medium Medium Low Medium Medium High

Irreversibility
Medium Medium High Medium Medium Low High High High High High Medium

Source ranking
Low Low Medium Low Low Low Medium Medium Low Low Low Low

2 Green turtle

4 5
1

I J K

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 hawksbill turtles within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl is the depredation of nests by domestic dogs; while this threat remains very localized (only observed at the principal nesting site of Chiriqu Beach), the impacts pose a severe threat to these two critically endangered species. Some threats that have been identified, such as direct capture of juvenile and adult turtles in artisanal fisheries, were not found to be critical; however, there is possibly insignificant data on the current level of illegal take at sea to accurately assess the risk to hawksbill and green turtle populations in the region. Other threats that were identified include illegal take of eggs, and the loss of suitable nesting habitat, either through coastal development, or as a result of an increase in sea level as a result of climate change.

SITUATION ANALYSIS
Appendix 1 shows a diagram of the situation analysis, which illustrates the connectivity between the different sources of stress for the focal targets. The purple boxes in the diagram represent the threats, or sources of stress, to the focal targets (green boxes). As can be seen in the diagram, the majority of threats to the survival of the three focal targets are anthropogenic in nature; coastal development, a continued demand for turtle products such as eggs or meat and a lack of control of domestic dogs on the nesting beach. The impact of the continuing demand for sea turtle products is exacerbated by the lack of adequate 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 climate change may have on sea turtle conservation; either directly on the focal target species, or on the critical habitats (shown in dark green boxes) on which they depend within the Comarca and neighboring Bocas del Toro Province. All of the focal target species are subject to a variety of stresses; indicated by the arrows leading to the focal target name. The leatherback turtle has fewer threats, as this species is typically not targeted for meat consumption and so is not subject to directed take in the local artisanal fishery; indeed, incidental capture of leatherback turtles is rare, hence the dashed line from this threat box. Stress on key habitats (shown in dark green boxes) may have a subsequent indirect negative impact on the focal target species; this is indicated by the dashed line leading from the habitat box to the species box.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS
The following is a list of the key stakeholder groups that have been identified, and who should be invited to provide input during subsequent phases of the development of a sea turtle conservation plan for the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl.
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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 Toro Province 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 laws pertaining to sea turtles; representatives should be at national, regional and Comarca level: ANAM Csar Pineda, Regional Administrator for the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl Concepcin Gutirrez, o Kribo Region Ibelice Anio, Director of Protected Areas and Wildlife Lisseth Rodrguez, Coordinator for Protected Areas in the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl Luca Chandeck, General Administrator ARAP Giovanni Lauri, Administrator Javier Machazeck, Regional Administrator of Bocas del Toro Province Marino Abrego, Sea Turtle Expert Community NGOs involved in conservation, tourism or development, including: APRORENANB, Aucensio Palacio, President Grupo Mery Eco Kika ANABOCA APRORENANB

Sea turtle conservation organizations:

25 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

Government entities responsible for coastal development and management including: ANAM ARAP ATP MEDUCA MICI MIDA MIVIOT

Local municipal government National Police of Panama

RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS

1. Continue to evaluate the status of focal conservation targets within the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl, and refine the KEAs, associated indicators and acceptable ecological limits of indicators to be used in the Sea Turtle Conservation 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 the Comarca and neighboring Bocas del Toro province, and review proposed activities to reduce negative impacts on turtles and their key habitats, and to receive local opinion on the conservation plan. 3. Develop objectives for the Sea Turtle Conservation Plan and a series of associated actions to accomplish these goals within five years with the active participation of the key stakeholders identified above. 4. Calculate a budget to implement the Sea Turtle Conservation Plan.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aguilar, R. & Garca-Huidobro, G. 2001. Panama: Indigenous Peoples. Socio Economic and Demographic Characteristics. On-line resource viewed at http://www.decon.edu.uy/network/pdfs/aguilar_garcia.pdf on 6 July, 2012. Meylan, A.B., Meylan, P. and C. Ordoez Espinosa. In Press. Sea turtles of Bocas del Toro Province and the Comarca Ngbe-Bugl, Republic of Panama. Bulletin of Marine Science Special Volume, edited by D. Suman.

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Resolucin AG-0346 de 17 de agosto de 2004. Que Declara el Humedal de Importancia Internacional Damani-Guariviara, en la regin de kribo, Comarca Ngbe Bugl. (G.O. 25,136 de 14 de septiembre de 2004) Resolucin AG-0095 de septiembre 2009. Que Declara el Paisaje Protegido Isla Escudo de Veraguas - Dego, en la regin de kribo, Comarca Ngbe Bugl. Sea Turtle Conservancy, 2010. Baseline Report on the Status of Sea Turtle Populations 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 for Conservation 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.

27 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT

APPENDIX 1
SITUATION ANALYSIS SHOWING SOURCES OF STRESS FOR FOCAL TARGETS
Degradation of nesting beach habitat due to artificial light

Coastal development

Degradation of nesting beach habitat due to coastal development Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to coastal development Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to pollution

Nesting beach habitat

Near-shore marine habitat Leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea

Climate change
Sea level rise

Degradation or loss of nesting beach habitat due to climate change Degradation of near-shore marine habitat due to climate change Loss of nests due to tidal erosion Depredation of nests by domestic dogs

Lack of control of domestic dogs Demand for turtle eggs Demand for hawksbill shell Demand for turtle meat
28 COMARCA NGBE-BUGL SEA TURTLE ASSESSMENT Lack of law enforcement

Incidental capture in artisanal fisheries Illegal take of eggs by humans Direct take in artisanal fisheries Illegal take of adult females from the nesting beach

Green turtle Chelonia mydas

Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata