A whole year waiting for another inspiring ISTS to happen… and it is already over. The 43rd International Sea Turtle Society Symposium was truly special this year. For starters, it was the first ISTS ever to be held in Africa. It took place in Accra, Ghana, and it was wonderful to meet the many African delegates who were able to attend this year due to proximity and to learn about their amazing work—sea turtle professionals from Ghana, of course, but also from Angola, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, Cabo Verde, Tunisia, and South Africa.
A very special event this year was the Sea Turtle First Aid training course, organised with the incredible support of Andy Agyekumhene, this year’s ISTS president, and the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Ghana, where he works. The trainers were Daniela Freggi (Lampedusa Rescue Centre), Jose Luis Crespo (Fundación Oceanogràfic), and Mariluz Parga (SUBMON).
The course was mainly aimed at veterinary and biology students, as well as professionals working on nesting beaches. We covered topics such as internal anatomy, handling and transport, general health checks, and the main problems encountered —along with how to deal (or not to deal) with them in a setting with no veterinary support or facilities… Around 50 people attended, leading to some really interesting conversations throughout the day as participants compared solutions from different parts of the world.
Necropsy on an adult olive ridley turtle.
In the afternoon, a necropsy was performed on an adult olive ridley turtle to reinforce what had been presented in the morning. Since it was impossible for everybody to gather around the turtle, a camera connected to a projector was used to give everyone a close-up view. When something particularly interesting arose, everybody was given aprons and gloves and invited to take a look at the animal up close. This approach worked really well!
Another very special event was the Medicine and Rehabilitation Workshop, organised, as every year, by Daniela and Mariluz. It was a productive gathering of 45 participants from many different countries, with varying levels of experience; the perfect size and atmosphere to encourage attendees to share their experiences, whether good or bad, and to stimulate discussions on different approaches while comparing problems and solutions from around the world.
Marine Turtle Medicine and Rehabilitation Workshop
We have come a long way since the first such workshop was held in Goa (India) in 2010, with the goal of bringing together professionals working in sea turtle medicine and rehabilitation, trying to improve techniques, unify protocols, and learn from one another. Another key aim was to help newcomers quickly gain expertise, so they wouldn’t have to start from scratch, as many of us did over 20 years ago.
And last, but not least, the scientific session on rehabilitation and health! This marks the second year such a session has been organised, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. There were five oral presentations and six posters, all attracting considerable interest. We sincerely hope this specific session will continue in future years, proving that medicine and rehabilitation have finally been recognised as another pillar of sea turtle conservation.
And now we look ahead to Hawaii! A full year’s wait lies before us…
