Effective Management of Endangered Species in Oil and Gas Operations

Abstract

Abstract During its recovery from war and the development of infrastructures, Angola has relied on the income from the oil industry to support the increasing demands for the reconstruction of its infrastructure and economy. The rapid growth of the oil industry in Angola was accompanied by a greater interest in environmental protection, specifically in areas of oil exploration and production operations. The Cabinda Gulf Oil Company—Chevron (CABGOC)—has implemented a successful environmental program to protect three endangered sea turtle species in its Angolan operational areas. The objective of the Malongo Sea Turtle Protection Program to mitigate the influence of the Malongo camp operations on the sea turtle nesting habitat of the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivácea), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriácea), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas). The Health, Environment and Safety (HES) environmental team and a team of four surveyors (former Cabinda fishermen) used nest monitoring techniques and high-quality geographic information system (GIS) mapping capability to monitor the sea turtle nests in the 4 kilometers Malongo camp beach. Turtle monitoring included night patrols over a seven month period (September to April), counting nests, GIS mapping of all nests, relocating nests from areas of possible human disturbance, tagging and measuring sea turtles, monitoring hatching success, and releasing sea turtle hatchlings. Since its start in 2002, the program has registered over 1,000 nests, tagged and measured over 40 sea turtles, and released over 29,000 hatchlings to the sea. Additionally, a recent study of the Cabinda coast indicates that the Malongo program is currently the most successful sea turtle protection program in Cabinda in terms of nest hatching success, poaching protection, and documenting nesting patterns. This program has helped build partnerships with the community, oil industry partners, and the Environmental Ministry of Angola as well as increased public awareness on sea turtle protection.