Consolidation of achievements, development and sustainability of the Network of Actors for the Protection of Marine Turtles in Central Africa (RASTOMA)

Five of the 7 species of sea turtles found around the world frequent the coasts of Central Africa. These 5 species of sea turtles are threatened according to the IUCN red list: the hawksbill turtle (CR), the green turtle (EN), the loggerhead turtle (EN), the leatherback turtle (VU), and the olive ridley turtle (VU).  RASTOMA is a network established in Congo since 2012 and supported by the PPI since 2015, whose objective is to conserve these endangered species and their natural habitats: marine and coastal ecosystems in Central Africa. The RASTOMA network currently federates 11 NGOs for the Conservation of Marine Turtles spread over the 6 countries of Central Africa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

RASTOMA’s mission is to strengthen and professionalize marine and coastal conservation organizations and to emerge young leaders from Central Africa. RASTOMA intervenes by building the capacities of member organizations and providing them with technical, scientific and financial support, by supporting regional institutions involved in conservation, and by advocating to strengthen the legislative framework for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems in Central Africa. The objective of this project is to increase RASTOMA’s contribution to the conservation of marine turtles and to local development on the marine and coastal part in Central Africa.