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Turtle-Friendly
Fisheries only Hope for Gentle Ocean Giants
Over the last decade nesting populations of critically
endangered Pacific leatherback turtles have crashed,
and the survival of this species is threatened by local
and global impacts. Pacific leatherbacks, so named for
their smooth leathery skin, can grow up to eight feet
long and weigh close to a ton.
Turtle meat and eggs are eaten by many coastal communities
throughout the Pacific Islands. At the same time, the
wide-ranging migratory turtles are also vulnerable to
coastal tourism development, accidental catch by fishing
gears, and marine pollution. Consequently, six of the
seven sea turtle species are now classified as endangered
or, worse, critically endangered, by the World Conservation
Union (IUCN) Red List.
Photo Credit: Peter Dutton, NOAA
Away from its element, a grounded Pacific leatherback
turtle is a source of curiosity - in the future, conservation
strategies must combine knowledge of biology and communities.
To address these issues, a group of 25 marine fisheries,
conservation, policy, industry, and management experts
met at the Bellagio Conference Center, Italy, to create
a much needed blueprint for the conservation of sea
turtles in the Pacific Ocean.
"We came to this meeting seeking a set of workable
solutions to reverse the critical decline of Pacific
sea turtles", said Meryl Williams, Director General,
WorldFish Center, who chaired the meeting. "Our
next steps are to go out and promote the adoption of
actions by the relevant people. The sooner more concerted
action starts on a pan-Pacific level, the better the
chance that the turtles will be saved."
The Bellagio blueprint called attention to the need
for protecting all nesting beaches, reducing turtle
take in at-sea and coastal fisheries, stimulating pan-Pacific
policy actions, and encouraging the sustainable use
of sea turtles recognizing that gathering of turtle
eggs and hunting of sea turtles for meat contribute
to food security of many local communities.
Developing suitable responses requires anthropological,
biological, and fishing information on coastal and island
living communities. "Our efforts must focus on
linking existing knowledge of turtle biology and use,
including migration studies, genetics and fisheries
with knowledge about the community uses," said
Mahfuz Ahmed, Head, Policy Research and Impact Assessment,
WorldFish Center.
For more information visit www.worldfishcenter.org
and IUCN's Red List program www.redlist.org
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