On Friday, November 21, WWF-Guianas, in collaboration with its local partners—the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management (GBB) and the Ministry of Oil, Gas, and Environment (OGM)—hosted the final national meeting to present the Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Suriname (STRAP). Approximately 50 participants attended, including representatives from government, NGOs, local communities (such as Galibi), the private sector, and academia.
Minister Stanley Soeropawiro opened the meeting on behalf of the Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management (GBB). He expressed his privilege in presenting the STRAP for Suriname for the period from 2026 to 2035. He emphasised that this comprehensive framework underscores the nation's commitment to protecting Suriname’s rich biodiversity, particularly its sea turtle populations. Following his remarks, Ms Johanna Langbroek, Director of WWF-Guianas, expressed her gratitude to all who contributed to this plan. She noted that thanks to the active participation of stakeholders, they were able to present the finalised STRAP for Suriname—not just a manual—ensuring that future generations of Surinamese can continue to witness the miraculous nesting of sea turtles on their beaches.
WWF-Guianas has been tasked with developing a Sea Turtle Recovery Plan Manual for Suriname in collaboration with the national government. This initiative is part of a regional effort coordinated by Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB). The initial focus for Suriname was reviewing the Suriname Sea Turtle Recovery Plan (STRAP) from 1993 and developing a manual for STRAP, thereby supporting the long-term, community-driven conservation and recovery of the country’s sea turtle populations. The active involvement of national stakeholders and collaboration with regional partners facilitated the successful completion of the STRAP for Suriname.
Ms Soraya Wijntuin, Manager of Better Production in Natural Resources, facilitated the meeting and presented the project initiative, the process undertaken in Suriname, and the next steps. The STRAP for Suriname has been validated, and minor corrections will be made to the governance structure based on group exercises conducted at the end of the meeting. The next step is to submit the STRAP to the Caribbean Environment Program (CEP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for approval so that it can be incorporated into the broader series of STRAPs for the Caribbean region. Once approved, STRAP Suriname will be widely distributed.
During the meeting, the following actions occurred:
- The STRAP for Suriname was presented, and Suriname’s ten-year Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan was formally handed over to the two ministries (GBB and OGM) responsible for sea turtle conservation.
- Other STRAPs in the Caribbean context were presented to highlight alignments, shared learnings, and joint actions:
- Dr Karen Eckert from the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) discussed WIDECAST’s role in the development of STRAPs across the Wider Caribbean Region.
- Kaj Schut from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire shared efforts to develop a consolidated STRAP for the Dutch Caribbean Islands.
- Rishi Deosaran from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) provided updates on the STRAP process in Trinidad and Tobago.
WWF-Guianas remains committed to being a dependable partner in this process. However, success requires strong leadership and involvement from all parties. We rely on the Ministry's decisiveness, the provision of resources, and support from international partners. The transfer of STRAP is not an endpoint but rather a new beginning. Ms Soraya Wijntuin indicated that the next step is to submit the STRAP to the Caribbean Environment Program (CEP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for approval, after which the STRAP Suriname will be widely disseminated.
