Background:

The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) is a unified nonprofit organization founded in January 2003 which monitors nesting sea turtle populations & acts as an advocate for the strengthening of sea turtle protection laws.  We are working in conjunction with the St. Kitts Fisheries Department, St. Christopher Heritage Society,WIDECAST, UNESCO Small Islands Voice, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, St. Catherine's Island Center, University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine & local citizens to develop a long term sea turtle monitoring & protection program.  Currently, our leatherback monitoring efforts are concentrated on the 2 primary leatherback nesting beaches & we are conducting early morning & night surveys, & tagging. Hawksbill efforts are concentrated on the main nesting sites and foraging hawksbills and greens are being tagged offshore. The data gathered is being used to promote conservation in order to improve laws & change long-standing attitudes regarding the importance of sea turtles not only to the island's ecosystem but economy.

Objectives:

• To implement, under the direction of the St. Kitts Fisheries Department, a long standing sea turtle conservation management program
• To promote community awareness of the plight of sea turtles
  

Achievements:

• SKSTMN has monitored the 2 main leatherback nesting beaches since 2003
• Leatherback tagging was implemented on Cayon to Keys in April 2005
• Hawksbill in-water tagging was implemented in November 2004
• Inaugural member of the SWoT Team
• Sea Turtle Health Workshops held in 2006, 2007
• National Sea Turtle Hotline Launch
• 2006 Poster Competion