Mapur Village, Bintan Regency, Riau Islands

Ecology Foundation (Yayasan Ecology Kepulauan Riau-YEKR) continues to demonstrate its commitment to assisting coastal community groups, especially the Marine and Fisheries Monitoring Group (Pokmaswas Perisai Mapur), in preserving the sustainability of sea turtles on Mapur Island. Sea turtles are protected marine animals and are currently in an endangered state due to pressure from human activities, coastal development, and habitat damage both at sea and on land. Through a community-based assistance approach, YEKR strives to ensure that conservation efforts focus not only on animal preservation but also on strengthening the capacity of local communities as the main custodians of the coastal ecosystem.

As a tangible step in strengthening community participation, the YEKR Team assisted Pokmaswas Perisai Mapur in carrying out a sea turtle conservation socialization in Mapur Village, specifically in Kampung Tengah and Kampung Bebak. The activity was attended by more than 30 residents, consisting of local community members, youth, and children. Through this activity, YEKR and Pokmaswas introduced the importance of sea turtles to the balance of the marine ecosystem, presented the types of sea turtles found in the Riau Islands waters, and conveyed the population status, legal status, and threats faced by the turtles. In the discussion session, the community was also invited to understand their role in keeping the beach free from plastic waste, refraining from taking sea turtle eggs, and reporting activities that could threaten their habitat.

In addition to strengthening awareness, the YEKR Team also assists Pokmaswas Perisai Mapur in regularly monitoring the sea turtle nesting beaches. This activity aims to record nesting activity, protect nests from disturbance, and ensure that sea turtle eggs can hatch safely. To increase the effectiveness of data collection, YEKR reintroduced the use of the KoboCollect application as part of the effort to digitize the monitoring system, which had previously also been applied in the sea turtle conservation program. Through training facilitated by YEKR, Pokmaswas members now better understand how to collect sea turtle data using kobotoolbox application mobile phones directly in the field.

This method allows for faster and more accurate data recording, including photos of the nest, location coordinates, and nesting time. This assistance ensures that the collected data and information are securely stored and easy to analyze for long-term conservation needs. The assistance provided by YEKR to Pokmaswas Perisai Mapur proves that sustainable conservation must grow from the community itself. By building awareness, strengthening capacity, and supporting the use of technology, YEKR helps ensure that sea turtle preservation efforts on Mapur Island can continue successfully in the future.