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2002 Annual General Meeting

Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network

(WIDECAST)

Miami 2-3 April 2002

2002 Annual General Meeting

Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network

(WIDECAST)

Miami 2-3 April 2002

Karen L. Eckert, Ph.D.Executive Director’s Report

BRITISHVIRGINISLANDS

PANAMA

COSTA RICA

MEXICO

BRAZIL

CUBA

GRENADA

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

BARBADOS

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

SAINT LUCIA

DOMINICAMARTINIQUE

GUADELOUPE

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

U.S. VIRGIN

ISLANDS

PUERTO RICO

ANGUILLA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

HAITISAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

FRENCH GUIANASURINAME

GUYANA

VENEZUELA

COLOMBIA

NICARAGUA

HONDURAS

EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA

BELIZE

UNITED STATES

BAHAMAS

CAYMAN ISLANDS

JAMAICA

ARUBABONAIRECURACAU

BERMUDA

ECUADOR

The Wider Caribbean Region:south of 30 degrees N latitudeand within 200 nm of the Atlanticcoasts from Florida to FrenchGuiana, and embracing Bermudaand Brazil

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Member Countries of WIDECASTMember Countries of WIDECAST

• 29 Sovereign states

• Territories and Departments of U.K., U.S.,

France and The Netherlands

WIDECAST Country Coordinators are drawn fromGovernment and non – Governmental sectors

____________________

WIDECAST’S MISSIONWIDECAST’S MISSION

“Our collective goal is to realize a future where all inhabitants of the Wider

Caribbean Region, human and sea turtle alike, can live together in balance”

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WIDECAST

Caribbean EnvironmentProgramme

Government & NGO Resource Management

Organizations

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WIDECAST NETWORK ARE INTERLINKED WITH

INTERNATIONAL / DOMESTIC AND LOCAL SEA TURTLE MANAGEMENT

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WIDECAST NETWORK ARE INTERLINKED WITH

INTERNATIONAL / DOMESTIC AND LOCAL SEA TURTLE MANAGEMENT

United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)

Caribbean Environment Programme(CEP)

Convention for the Protection and Developmentof the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region

(Cartagena Convention)

Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife(SPAW Protocol)

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SPAW Protocol

WIDECAST

Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plans(STRAPS)

Standard Guidelinesand Criteria

•Population monitoring•Database management•Sea turtle ecotourism•Threat mitigation

(e.g. beach lighting)

•Sea turtle distribution and abundance•Population trend and status•Major causes of mortality•Effectiveness of existing legislation•Present and historical role of sea turtles

in the local culture and economy•Local national, and multilateral implementing

measures for science-based managementand conservation

WIDECAST ACTIVITIESWIDECAST ACTIVITIES

• Field research and conservation

• Management / policy– Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plans

– Recommendations (national, regional)

– ‘Best Practices’ / standard guidelines

• Training and capacity building

• Environmental ed / public awareness

• Fund-raising

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Field research and conservationField research and conservation

Resource managementResource managementSea Turtle Recovery ActionPlans (STRAPs)

Recommendations andguidelines for managementpolicy

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Training ProgramsTraining Programs

Environmental Educationand Public Outreach

Environmental Educationand Public Outreach

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FundraisingFundraising

Since 1997, WIDECAST hasraised more than $1,000,000 indirect grants for sea turtle researchand conservation projects through-out the Wider Caribbean region.

Since 1997, WIDECAST hasraised more than $1,000,000 indirect grants for sea turtle researchand conservation projects through-out the Wider Caribbean region.

“WIDECAST is rooted in the belief that conservation must be nurtured from within, it cannot be commanded from outside.

Our programs emphasize information-sharing, thusencouraging a technical understanding of sea turtle biology

and organizations.”

“WIDECAST is rooted in the belief that conservation must be nurtured from within, it cannot be commanded from outside.

Our programs emphasize information-sharing, thusencouraging a technical understanding of sea turtle biology

and organizations.”

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Morreale et al

Eckert et al.

Ferraroli et al

Eckert

James& Eckert

Keinath & Musick

Duron-Dufrenne

ACCOMPLISHMENTSACCOMPLISHMENTS