Berau Coastal Communities Strengthened as Frontline Defenders of Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches

Berau Regency, the largest green turtle nesting habitat in Southeast Asia, holds a crucial position in global conservation efforts. To enhance community involvement, YKAN, together with the East Kalimantan Provincial Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP) and the Pontianak Marine Management Office, held a Sea Turtle Monitoring Technical Training under the Solutions for Marine and Coastal Resilience in the Coral Triangle (SOMACORE) program from 3–7 February 2026 in the Coastal and Small Islands Conservation Area of the Derawan Islands and Surrounding Waters (KKP3K KDPS).

SOMACORE is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Climate Action (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is implemented by a consortium of ten national, regional, and international organizations across six countries in the Coral Triangle.

Syarif Iwan Taruna Alkadrie, Head of the Pontianak Marine Management Office, emphasized that sea turtles are strictly protected at both national and international levels and cannot be caught, traded, or exploited in any form.

“Nationally, all sea turtle species are fully protected under Government Regulation No. 7/1999, reinforced by Minister of Marine and Fisheries Decree No. 66/2025. Sea turtles are also listed in CITES Appendix I and the IUCN Red List as threatened to critically endangered. However, protection efforts will fail without strong community collaboration,” he asserted.

Indonesia, as the world’s largest archipelagic nation with over 17,500 islands, is home to extraordinary marine biodiversity, including six of the world’s seven sea turtle species.

Yet, in recent decades, populations have been under severe pressure from human activities, such as egg poaching, coastal habitat degradation, marine pollution, and unsustainable fishing practices, which lead to turtles being caught as bycatch.

Irhan Hukmaidy, the Head of East Kalimantan DKP, emphasized the significance of community participation in achieving long-term conservation success. “Conservation cannot rely solely on regulations. When communities have both the capacity and a sense of ownership, efforts to protect coastal and marine resources become far more sustainable,” he said.

Numerous studies have revealed that several beaches within KKP3K KDPS serve as active sea turtle nesting sites throughout the year, with the peak season occurring from June to August. However, high human activity often makes these areas less ideal for safe turtle nesting.

"Sea turtles are highly sensitive to human activities. Even small disturbances can prevent turtles from laying their eggs. Therefore, protecting nesting beaches must involve the local communities who live and work in these areas," said Rizya Ardiwijaya, Coral Reef Specialist at YKAN.

The technical training program was designed to build community capacity through a citizen science approach. About 60 participants from fishing and coastal community groups in Biduk-Biduk, Batu Putih, and Maratua subdistricts attended intensive sessions covering sea turtle biology and ecology, species identification, life cycles, conservation threats, and nesting beach monitoring techniques, including data management.

The training combined classroom lessons with field practice, including turtle track identification, nest recording, and hands-on data collection using Android-based applications.

For the community, this training provides new insights into their role in protecting the coastal ecosystem. Suriyadi, one of the participants from Balikukup Village, shared that direct involvement in turtle monitoring fosters a sense of collective responsibility. “This training equips us with the skills to monitor turtle habitats. I now feel more responsible for protecting the beach to ensure the survival of the turtles,” he said.

Following the training, the community groups will conduct six months of nesting beach monitoring, collecting data on turtle tracks and nests. The long-term goal is for these groups to become self-sufficient in monitoring, with the data forming the basis for adaptive conservation and management of KKP3K KDPS.

Technology Integration for Conservation

Beyond community capacity building, YKAN also supports Berau’s sea turtle conservation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology. In October 2025, UAV aerial surveys were conducted to map turtle distribution, population, and habitat usage. The data were analyzed using Sea Turtle Nesting Beach Indicator Tools, allowing high-resolution, large-scale, and cost-effective spatial data collection.

Integrating UAV technology with community-based monitoring creates a comprehensive foundation for sea turtle protection strategies in KKP3K KDPS.

“Sea turtle conservation is a long-term mission. When communities, government, and development partners move together, we protect not only the turtles but also the future of coastal ecosystems for generations to come,” concluded YKAN Ocean Protection Senior Manager Yusuf Fajariyanto.

About SOMACORE

The SOMACORE program is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and it is implemented by a consortium of 10 national, regional, and international organizations across six Coral Triangle countries.