Finally an ecocentre in Pointe Noire!

The coasts of the Congo welcome, throughout the year, populations of 5 of the 7 species of marine turtles present in the world. The importance of the adjoining beaches of Congo and Gabon for the nesting of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea, VU) is now internationally recognized. The frequentation by olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea, VU), is also remarkable. More sporadically, spawning of green turtles (Chelonia mydas, EN) and loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta, EN) are also observed.

Congolese waters also contain rocky areas rich in marine flora and fauna. These habitats provide prime sites for the feeding and growth of marine turtles, including juvenile or subadult individuals of green turtles and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata, CR). Based in Pointe-Noire, the economic capital of the Congo, the NGO Renatura monitors turtle populations at some of the most important nesting sites in the world for leatherback, green and olive ridley turtle populations. The data collected by the association have thus already been the subject of scientific publications and Renatura is part of two regional scientific networks (RASTOMA and REEDDAC).

The two previous PPI projects carried out by Renatura on the protection of marine turtles provided excellent results with 758 nests of leatherbacks and olive ridley turtles observed and protected and allowed the development of tourist infrastructure around this project and for the benefit of coastal communities. The main objective of this project is the construction of an ecocentre on a plot acquired three years ago by Renatura. Indeed, the NGO believes that in Pointe-Noire one of the major difficulties for the preservation of the environment lies in the weakness of civil society, which can be explained in part by the lack of information and therefore of the commitment of the General public. There is therefore a real need for open spaces, totally dedicated to environmental themes in order to allow a wider dissemination of these questions.