São Tomé island is located along the west African coast where a high abundance of sea turtles come to breed and feed along the year. Small-scale fishing activity in the island of São Tomé, represent a major source of income for coastal communities with few economic resources other than those related to fishing. The unintentional catch in small-scale fisheries is a major threat to sea turtles, however little is known about the impacts of these artisanal fisheries on sea turtles and other marine resources. Reducing bycatch could help with management and eventual recovery of these threatened populations. In this study, we intend to identify and characterize small-scale fishing gears used by local communities, determine what type of gears are the most harmful for sea turtles, and how bycatch can be influenced by the time, depth, distance of fishing. For that purpose, we conducted interviews with local fishermen within the different fishing communities about their fishing habits. Purse seine type of net produces the most bycatch of marine turtles. There were no significant differences among bycatch regarding the depth and distance from the coast at which fishermen go fishing but more bycatch was reported when fishermen fish during night and day. We also suggest recommendations concerning the method used to improve future studies.
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