TOTAL Foundation and TOTAL Oman organized a Workshop on Sea Turtles in the Gulf and Guadeloupe in December 2008 in Barr Al-Jissah, Oman.

International experts, project managers, scientists and policy makers gathered there for three days to talk about regional turtle projects, their results, their challenges, the progress of science towards turtle conservation and policies to be applied for the same goal.

At the end of the Workshop, a document was agreed upon and signed by all participants, the Barr Al-Jissah Declaration on Marine Turtle Conservation in the Gulf and Guadeloupe.

Participants agreed that communication between individual projects in the region and among TOTAL-sposonsored turtle projects (such as the one in Guadeloupe) was insufficient and difficult until that date and, with the help of Dr. Michael Coyne, prominent sea turtle scientist and administrator of www.seaturtle.org, the most efficient online tool dedicated to sea turtles, the idea of a mailing list and regional turtle website arose. KTCP members then volunteered to animate both communication platforms and today, the “Salahif” mailing list and “Salahif” website unite 51 members of the turtle community in the Arabian Gulf and Guadeloupe. Communication is now possible and easier than ever.

“Salahif” means “Turtles” in Arabic, and the “Salahif” network (mailing list and website/blog) is open to everyone or anyone who is interested in learning, communicating or contributing to the sea turtle cause in the region.

You are all welcome to join the mailing list by e-mailing Nancy (KTCP project manager) at nancyktcp@gmail.com

or ALan (KTCP Satellite Telemetry expert) at arees@seaturtle.org

Please write us a few lines about yourself, your full name and your involvement with sea turtles. If you are only just become acquainted with sea turtles and would like to learn more, you are very welcome to join the network, too. Your interest is extremely important and valuable for the sea turtle cause in the region. Feel free to e-mail the list your questions, information, turtle sightings, low resolution photos or inquiries. Someone from the network will definitely have an answer for you. Your information is extremely important, too, any kind of information you could provide us with regarding turtles in the Gulf Region.

To meet some of the members of the “Salahif” network and become acquainted with some regional sea turtle conservation projects, log on to www.salahif.org.

WELCOME ON BOARD!