As part of the TE ME UM companionship project, our founder and Director of Conservation Strategy and Programs Dr. Cécile GASPAR went on a week-long mission to New Caledonia to meet local partners with the aim of creating a network for sharing knowledge and data on Pacific marine turtles.

In particular, she had the opportunity to meet the Association Bwärä Tortues Marines chaired by Dominique Lafage, in charge of scientific monitoring, its coordinator Océane Minster and their teams of volunteers? It was also an opportunity to meet the Aquarium Des Lagons Nouvelle-Calédonie teams in charge of “Turtle Watching”

As part of a mission to monitor egg-laying sites on the beach at Bourail, from the sea, the square and by microlight, and also a microlight overflight), 3 loggerhead turtle ascents were observed. It was also an opportunity to discuss our scientific protocols and objectives with the Bwärä Tortues Marines teams.

A conference for the general public was also organized by Turtle Watching at the Tourist Office. Poe gave Cécile the opportunity to share her work on monitoring green turtle nesting sites on Tetiaroa atoll over the past 16 years.

The event was attended by the Caledonian government’s Minister for the Environment Jérémie Katidjo Monnier, his assistant Théo Miloche, the President of Bwärä Tortues Marines, the association’s revegetation project manager Sébastien D’Avignon and lagoon coordinator Julie Safourcade.

A parallel meeting was organized with Carole Bernard, Director of New Caledonia environmental initiation center (CIE), to discuss new and innovative ways of raising environmental awareness.

We would like to thank all the participants for their time and the information they shared with Cécile.

We would also like to thank the French Office for Biodiversity for its financial support for this crucial mission for the conservation of Pacific turtles.

As part of the TE ME UM companionship project our founder and Director of Conservation Strategy and Programs Dr. Cécile GASPAR undertook a week-long mission to Wallis and Futuna to meet with local partners with the aim of creating a network for sharing knowledge and data on Pacific marine turtles.

In particular, she had the opportunity to meet the association Les Enfants Du Lagon and its president Pascal Nicomette, who supported the SOS Tortues WF project launched by Dr. Bertrand Bouchard, who had visited us a year ago in Moorea and Tetiaroa as part of a companion project.

She also had the opportunity to talk at length with the Territorial Environment Service (STE) of Wallis and Futuna and its director Ateliana Maugateau. STE teams Kavapui Akau, Fanoi Ugatai, Sosefo Malau and Morgane Le Bris set up two nocturnal surveys on islets with the aim of observing turtle nesting. The gamble paid off: a green turtle measuring 85 cm in shell length on the Faioa islet and a hawksbill turtle measuring 83 cm in shell length on the Nukuteatea motu were observed laying eggs.

A team led by Marie Capdeviolle, SVT teacher at Collège de Te’esi, and Kolo Seuvea and Lorenzo from the Lifuka Rowing Club also surveyed the islets of Nukuhione (1 track) and Nukuihifala (5 tracks), as well as the islet of Faioa at night, with another turtle observed after egg-laying.

In all, 39 turtle tracks were recorded on site over 7 days.

Cécile GASPAR also gave a public lecture at the STE, 3 presentations in schools, including one with Chanel Lakalana’s CM1-CM2 class, which has been awarded the “Aire Marine Educative (AME)” label, and presentations at the A Vaka Heke Rowing Club.

A big thank you to everyone for the incredible welcome Cécile has received !

We would also like to thank the French Office for Biodiversity for their financial support of this crucial mission for Pacific turtle conservation.