Coordinating the French West Indies National Action Plan for Marine Turtles

Coordinating implementation of the national marine turtle action plan across the French West Indies.

The National Action Plan (PNA) for marine turtles in the French West Indies is a strategic public policy framework designed to improve the conservation status of threatened species. Running for 10 years, from 2020 to 2029, it covers all French West Indies territories, namely Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin, and is implemented in a coordinated way while accounting for local specificities. It is overseen by the Directorates for Environment, Planning and Housing (DEAL) and coordinated by TOTM.

The plan aims to strengthen conservation of the five marine turtle species found on the beaches and in the waters of the French West Indies: hawksbill, green, leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley turtles. These species use the region at different stages of their life cycle, including nesting, feeding and juvenile development. The objective is therefore to maintain or restore these populations to a favourable conservation status.

The National Action Plan is built around three complementary pillars:

  • improving scientific knowledge;
  • raising awareness and mobilizing stakeholders;
  • implementing concrete conservation actions.

These pillars are translated into 36 actions led by members of the Guadeloupe and Martinique marine turtle networks, which bring together institutions, protected area managers, associations, local authorities and socio-economic stakeholders.

Historically, marine turtle conservation plans in the French West Indies were coordinated by public institutions. The National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS) led the plan between 2009 and 2014, before this responsibility was taken over by the National Forestry Office (ONF) from 2017 onward. In 2025, ONF ended this mission ahead of schedule, leading DEAL Guadeloupe to launch a 12-month transitional coordination contract. TOTM applied and was selected to ensure continuity of the plan across the French West Indies.

Within this framework, TOTM recruited two experienced coordinators: Alexis Guilleux in Martinique and Nicolas Paranthoen in Guadeloupe. Their role is to coordinate implementation of the plan’s actions and to facilitate a network of around 50 partners involved in marine turtle conservation across the French West Indies.

Major actions coordinated under the plan include:

  • the RECAPTED project, led by CNRS, which aims to reduce accidental marine turtle captures in coastal artisanal gillnets in collaboration with professional fishers;
  • the Maritime Response Brigade project, led by ASSOMER, to report and remove marine debris and lost or abandoned fishing gear;
  • field assessments carried out with environmental enforcement agencies to reduce disorientation of nesting females and hatchlings caused by light pollution;
  • control campaigns targeting the small Indian mongoose, an invasive alien predator of marine turtle eggs, in partnership with ONF, OFB and specialized operators;
  • coordination of stranding networks to assist injured or distressed marine turtles;
  • ecological restoration projects for nesting habitats, including beach revegetation in partnership with site managers, local authorities and associations;
  • monitoring of marine turtle populations to assess the long-term effectiveness of conservation actions, for both nesting females and juveniles in feeding habitats, including through citizen science programs.