LIFE - TARTANET project
Programme: LIFE NATURE
Project Title: Tartanet, a network for the conservation of sea turtles in Italy
Acronym: TARTANET
Duration: 2004-2008
Total Budget: € 3,032,175.00
Web site: http://www.tartanet.it/
Summary: Tartanet is large-scale, nation-wide initiative for the conservation of the common sea turtle Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean sea. Run under the European Commission Life Natura programme, it is led by CTS Ambiente and involves 31 different partners. Its main objective is to create a network of researchers and those involved in the study and conservation of this internationally protected species. Five new sea turtle rehabilitation centres will open and join the network of the ones already active. A nation-wide data bank in now working; a 24-hour 'turtle emergency response' centre, where sightings of stranded or injured turtles can be reported, has been activated jointly with Europ Assistance (toll-free number 800-904841 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting). Guidelines will also be proposed for a national action plan to reduce interactions with professional fishing activity. Tartanet's main objective is to implement an effective long-term conservation strategy, through the creation of a network of support centres to help reducing the threats to Caretta caretta. In addition to recovering and caring for the turtles accidentally caught during fishing activity, the Centres will be engaged in monitoring the nesting sites, applying low-impact fishery systems and testing TED (Turtle Excluder Device), a device that allows turtles to escape immediately after capture in the net. Specific training sessions are planned both for the operators of the centres and for the fishermen involved in monitoring and recovery activities. A web portal on marine turtles and an awareness programme directed to the general public will ensure the widest exposure and dissemination of information.
Contact person in ISMAR: a.sala@ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- CTS Ambiente
- Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio
- Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali
- Comando Generale delle Capitanerie di Porto
- AGCI Pesca
- Area Marina Protetta di Punta Campanella
- Fondazione Cetacea
- Legambiente
- Lega Pesca
- Parco Naturale della Maremma
- Università di Siena - Università di Torino
- 3 Regions (Toscana, Lazio e Calabria),
- 3 Provinces (Agrigento, Cagliari e Reggio Calabria)
- 4 National Parks (Arcipelago Toscano, Cilento, Gargano e Asinara
- Acquario di Livorno
- Centro Recupero Tartarughe di Policoro
- Federpachi
- Fondo Siciliano per la Natura
